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The High Court on Thursday raised question over the necessity of the Department of Environment (DoE) as the organisation is failing to play any role in stopping pollution.
During the hearing of a petition filed regarding illegal brick kilns, the High Court bench of Justice K M Kamrul Kader and Justice Khizir Hayat asked lawyer representing DoE, “The Department of Environment cannot play any role in stopping pollution. So, is there any necessity of having this department?”
The High Court further said, “The rivers of the country are polluted, the air is polluted. The situation in Dhaka is worse. We are worried.”
Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), a rights body, filed the petition with the High Court seeking its directive to probe into an allegation that the DoE is giving environmental licence to brick kilns in exchange for bribe.
Lawyer Manzill Murshid appeared in the court hearing in support of the petition, while lawyer Muntasir Uddin Ahmed represented the DoE.
Mr Manzill Murshid said, “Upon hearing the petition, the High Court directed the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to inquire into the allegation that Md Rezaul Karim, Director (Admin) of the DoE’s Head Quarter, is giving licence to the owners of the illegal brick kilns in exchange for bribe. The ACC authorities have been asked to submit its report to the court within two months.”
Following a writ petition filed by the HRPB, the High Court on November 26 in 2019 issued nine-point directives to stop air pollution. Lawyer Manzill Murshid said the DoE is yet to comply with the directives of the High Court.
In the meantime, a report was published in a newspaper under the banner "Brick kiln licence being sold, environmental pollution increasing (bikri hochche etbhatar charpotro, barche poribesh dushon).” Annexing the published report, the HRPB filed a supplementary petition on November 27 in 2023 with the HC seeking its direction. The HC held a hearing on the petition on Thursday and passed the order.