HC orders to evict illegal brick kilns in five districts including Dhaka in two weeks

Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Monday ordered the Department of Environment (DoE) to take necessary steps to evict all the illegal brick kilns installed in Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Manikganj and Munshiganj districts in two weeks.
The High Court Bench of Justice K M Kamrul Kader and Justice Mohammad Ali passed the order after hearing the reports submitted by the Department of Environment, the two City Corporations of Dhaka and the Inspector General of Police regarding the prevention of air pollution.
Lawyer Manzill Murshid who appeared in the court hearing on behalf of the writ petitioner said, “The HC on February 5 this year asked the respondents to implement the HC directives issued to control air pollution in Dhaka within two weeks and to submit reports to it. DoE, two city corporations in Dhaka and other respondents were asked to comply with the order.
However, the HC expressed its displeasure after seeing the report submitted by the DoE, two City Corporations and the Chief of Police. None of the reports was accepted as they did not properly implement the court’s instructions to prevent air pollution in Dhaka. That is why the HC has asked all the parties to implement the instructions and submit further reports.”
Following a writ petition the High Court on January 13 in 2020 issued a nine-point directive to bring down air pollution level in Dhaka. It directed the government bodies to seize the vehicles plying on Dhaka city by way of emitting black smoke exceeding limit. In its order, the court also directed the government to take steps to fix the economic life of different vehicles as per Section 36 of Road Transport Act-2018 and prohibit those vehicles having no economic life to run on the roads.
The court also directed the respondents to take appropriate steps in one month to stop burning of different tiers without having environment license and also to stop vehicle battery-recycling at any place without approval of the environment department.
It also directed the authorities of the two city corporations of Dhaka to take steps to ensure that all the market owners keep their daily garbage in a safe bag and during closing down those dumped at a designated area.
It directed the respondents to spray water in the morning and evening every day in the area which has not been covered till today by the two city corporations and to ensure that all trucks plying on roads in Dhaka city with sand or mud or waste must use covering.
Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh filed the writ petition on January 27, 2019, seeking necessary order from the High Court to prevent air pollution.
Lawyer Manzill Murshid said, “Despite the court order, the authorities are not taking any steps to prevent air pollution. As a result, we placed another application seeking implementation of the court order. Hearing that, the court passed this order.”