Staff Reporter :
The High Court (HC) on Monday issued a rule upon the respondents to explain in three months as to why they should not be directed to remove all unlawful and unauthorised structures from the restricted zone of Cox’s Bazar sea beach.
The HC also wanted to know in the rule as to why the respondents should not be directed to protect the remaining hills and hilly forests of Cox’s Bazar Sadar, Moheshkhali, Teknaf, Ramu, Chakoria, Ukhiya and Pekua upazilas of the districts against any further conversion.
The High Court Bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA).
Besides, the court wanted to know from the respondents as to why they should not be declared failure to protect the hills and hilly forests of seven upazilas of Cox’s Bazar district from razing ‘no development zone’ and ‘restricted zone’ from unlawful encroachments and pollution by commercial entities and municipal wastages of Cox’s Bazar Pourashava.
It also wanted to know in the rule as to why the decision taken in the 186th meeting of the taskforce committee approving construction of a 10-stord eyed circuit house building in ecological critical area of Cox’s Bazar should not be declared illegal.
And as to why the respondents should not be directed to ensure that no hotels or markets and other commercial structures operate in the Cox’s Bazar pourashava area without required environment clearance and sewage treatment plants, said the court in its ruling.
And as to why the respondents should not be directed to ensure the urgent measures have been taken for efficient management of municipal wastes of the Cox’s Bazar Pourashava and that the use of single use plastics is effectively banned in the Cox’s Bazar sea beach, court also said in the ruling.
Cabinet Secretary, environment secretary, civil aviation and tourism secretary, Housing and public works secretary, public administration secretary, water resources secretary, chairman of National River Protection Commission, Chairman of Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation BPC and other officials have been asked to comply with the rule in three months.
BELA’s lawyer Sayeed Ahmed Kabir filed the petition with the High Court in the first week of December annexing some published news cutting.
The petition said, continued razing of hills and hilly forests of Cox’s Bazar Sadar, Moheshkhali, Teknaf, Ramu, Chakoria, Ukhiya and Pekua upazilas of Cox’s Bazar district by public and private entities are unlawful and the same needs to be prevented immediately.
In the petition, BELA said 216 illegal structures and 24 hatcheries are reportedly polluting the sea beach in Cox’s Bazar.
Advocate Minhazul Haque Chowdhury and Advocate Sayeed Ahmed Kabir appeared for the writ petitioner, while Deputy Attorney General Amit Talukder represented the State.
The High Court (HC) on Monday issued a rule upon the respondents to explain in three months as to why they should not be directed to remove all unlawful and unauthorised structures from the restricted zone of Cox’s Bazar sea beach.
The HC also wanted to know in the rule as to why the respondents should not be directed to protect the remaining hills and hilly forests of Cox’s Bazar Sadar, Moheshkhali, Teknaf, Ramu, Chakoria, Ukhiya and Pekua upazilas of the districts against any further conversion.
The High Court Bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA).
Besides, the court wanted to know from the respondents as to why they should not be declared failure to protect the hills and hilly forests of seven upazilas of Cox’s Bazar district from razing ‘no development zone’ and ‘restricted zone’ from unlawful encroachments and pollution by commercial entities and municipal wastages of Cox’s Bazar Pourashava.
It also wanted to know in the rule as to why the decision taken in the 186th meeting of the taskforce committee approving construction of a 10-stord eyed circuit house building in ecological critical area of Cox’s Bazar should not be declared illegal.
And as to why the respondents should not be directed to ensure that no hotels or markets and other commercial structures operate in the Cox’s Bazar pourashava area without required environment clearance and sewage treatment plants, said the court in its ruling.
And as to why the respondents should not be directed to ensure the urgent measures have been taken for efficient management of municipal wastes of the Cox’s Bazar Pourashava and that the use of single use plastics is effectively banned in the Cox’s Bazar sea beach, court also said in the ruling.
Cabinet Secretary, environment secretary, civil aviation and tourism secretary, Housing and public works secretary, public administration secretary, water resources secretary, chairman of National River Protection Commission, Chairman of Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation BPC and other officials have been asked to comply with the rule in three months.
BELA’s lawyer Sayeed Ahmed Kabir filed the petition with the High Court in the first week of December annexing some published news cutting.
The petition said, continued razing of hills and hilly forests of Cox’s Bazar Sadar, Moheshkhali, Teknaf, Ramu, Chakoria, Ukhiya and Pekua upazilas of Cox’s Bazar district by public and private entities are unlawful and the same needs to be prevented immediately.
In the petition, BELA said 216 illegal structures and 24 hatcheries are reportedly polluting the sea beach in Cox’s Bazar.
Advocate Minhazul Haque Chowdhury and Advocate Sayeed Ahmed Kabir appeared for the writ petitioner, while Deputy Attorney General Amit Talukder represented the State.
