The High Court has directed government bodies to be vigilant in preventing illegal occupation and construction of structures in the Cox's Bazar Sea Beach area.
It also asked for efforts to implement the guidelines of the High Court judgment in maintaining the natural features of the beach.
The High Court bench of Justice J B M Hassan and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil passed the order on Wednesday after hearing a contempt of court ruling issued earlier against the Deputy Commissioner of Cox’s Bazar.
Advocate Manzill Murshid appeared in the hearing on behalf of the contempt petitioner, Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), a rights organization, while, Advocate Momtazuddin Fakir appeared for the DC.
Manzill Murshid said, "The beach area has repeatedly suffered illegal encroachment due to the inaction of the administration despite having a court order. After the illegal occupation, the encroachers built various structures there. This is harming the natural features of the beach. It also disrupts the normal movement of tourists.
We are taking the court’s shelter to evict these illegal establishments. We prayed to the court to issue some instructions to the concerned persons so that we do not need to come with such applications in the future. The court issued two directives after disposing of the contempt rule issued against Cox’s Bazar DC."
The High Court on August 25, this year, issued a contempt of court ruling against the Cox’s Bazar DC for not complying with its directives passed in a 2011 judgment delivered regarding the eviction of the illegal establishments.
The court also summoned the DC following the petition filed by the HRPB. The High Court blasted DC Mamunur Rashid when he appeared in court on October 19, complying with its order.
On that day, the HC bench ordered the DC to evict the illegal structures from Cox's Bazar Sea Beach in line with its directive and to submit a compliance report to it by November 9. Accordingly, the DC submitted a report in court on Wednesday.
In the report, the DC said that the administration has evicted a total of 260 illegal establishments from the Baliary area of the beach and another 417 illegal establishments from Sugandha Point of the beach.
After a hearing on the report, the court acquitted DC Mamunur Rashid from the contempt of court charge and settled the ruling.
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