River rights body, NHRC seem to be dummy: HC
Staff Reporter :
The High Court (HC) on Thursday observed that the National River Protection Commission and National Human Rights Commission seemed to be dummy commissions as they could not take actions against perpetrators.
They can only prepare reports and make recommendations about irregularities, the court said while continuing its delivery of a verdict for the second day on a writ petition that challenged the encroachment of rivers and construction of structures in rivers.
The HC bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal passed the observation as petitioner’s lawyer Advocate Manzill Murshid argued saying that the National River Protection Commission and National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) could not function effectively nor took any action against any person who committed irregularities.
The commissions were formed under such rules that they would make recommendations and report about irregularities only, the lawyer said.
In response to his argument, the court said that it would deliver some guidelines next Sunday so that nobody has to move any case in the court for protecting the rivers and to demolish illegal structures from the rivers.
Earlier on Wednesday, the court declared the rivers as living entity, legal person and juristic person.
The court said, the rivers’ will have the rights to protect their rights.
The court said, all the 450 rivers of the country will have to be protected in order to save the human beings from damage and pollution.
During delivery of Judgment yesterday, the court also said that the journalists are like whistle blowers and the court can take action against the irregularities following the media report made by the journalists.
On November 7, 2016, Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, a non government organization, filed a writ petition after a report published under the banner of “Time to declare Turag dead” in an English daily on November 6, 2016.
Two days later, a HC bench directed the government to stop earth-filling, encroachment and construction along the banks of Turag and submits a report after complying with the order.
It also issued a rule upon the authorities concerned to explain as to why their inaction to stop such activities should not be declared illegal.
In October 2017, Chief Judicial Magistrate of Gazipur submitted a report in the HC saying 30 structures were set up illegally along the banks of the river in Gazipur. On December 13, 2017, the HC directed authorities to demolish the structures immediately.
The High Court (HC) on Thursday observed that the National River Protection Commission and National Human Rights Commission seemed to be dummy commissions as they could not take actions against perpetrators.
They can only prepare reports and make recommendations about irregularities, the court said while continuing its delivery of a verdict for the second day on a writ petition that challenged the encroachment of rivers and construction of structures in rivers.
The HC bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal passed the observation as petitioner’s lawyer Advocate Manzill Murshid argued saying that the National River Protection Commission and National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) could not function effectively nor took any action against any person who committed irregularities.
The commissions were formed under such rules that they would make recommendations and report about irregularities only, the lawyer said.
In response to his argument, the court said that it would deliver some guidelines next Sunday so that nobody has to move any case in the court for protecting the rivers and to demolish illegal structures from the rivers.
Earlier on Wednesday, the court declared the rivers as living entity, legal person and juristic person.
The court said, the rivers’ will have the rights to protect their rights.
The court said, all the 450 rivers of the country will have to be protected in order to save the human beings from damage and pollution.
During delivery of Judgment yesterday, the court also said that the journalists are like whistle blowers and the court can take action against the irregularities following the media report made by the journalists.
On November 7, 2016, Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, a non government organization, filed a writ petition after a report published under the banner of “Time to declare Turag dead” in an English daily on November 6, 2016.
Two days later, a HC bench directed the government to stop earth-filling, encroachment and construction along the banks of Turag and submits a report after complying with the order.
It also issued a rule upon the authorities concerned to explain as to why their inaction to stop such activities should not be declared illegal.
In October 2017, Chief Judicial Magistrate of Gazipur submitted a report in the HC saying 30 structures were set up illegally along the banks of the river in Gazipur. On December 13, 2017, the HC directed authorities to demolish the structures immediately.
