The High Court on Sunday directed the Ministry of Public Administration to appoint five executive magistrates in the department of environment within one month.
The court also directed the director general of the department of environment to submit a compliance report in this regard
on March 10, 2020. The HC Bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), a rights organization, seeking a necessary order.
Earlier the same High Court Bench on January 13 this year asked the director general of the department of environment to appear in the court on February 2, 2020, to explain air quality of Dhaka city area.
Complying with the order, the Director General Dr AKM Rafique Ahammed appeared in the court yesterday and said, “Air quality is constantly decreasing since 2012. Development activities and excess vehicles are the big reasons for air pollution.”
He also informed the court that they had the manpower crisis to inspect the pollutions. Only three executive magistrates are working in Dhaka and Chattogram cities though the organogram has eight posts for executive magistrates.
Advocate Manzill Murshid appeared in the court on behalf of the writ petition, Deputy Attorney General Barrister ABM Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar appeared for the state and advocate Amatul Karim stood for the environment department.
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.
After hearing, the same High Court Bench on January 29, 2019, issued a rule upon the respondents to explain in four weeks as to why the inaction of the respondents to stop air pollution in Dhaka city area should not be declared illegal.
Subsequently the High Court on November 26, 2019, ordered the government to constitute a high-powered committee headed by environment secretary in order to formulate a guideline to reduce the air pollution in and around Dhaka city.
The court asked the committee to submit a report within 30 days and fixed January 5, 2020, for further hearing on the case.
Complying with the High Court order, the government formed a committee which submitted a report in the court on January 5 this year including 13 recommendations to reduce air pollution in the city area.
After holding hearing on the report on January 12 and 13, 2020, the High Court asked the Director General of the department of environment to appear in the court on February 2.
