Staff Reporter :
The High Court (HC) on Tuesday issued a contempt of court rule against 14 former and present government officials including the industries secretary and director general of Department of Environment (DoE) for not complying with its order over relocation of Hazaribagh tanneries.
In the rule, the court asked the 14 officials, including Industries Secretary Mainuddin Abdullah and DoE Director General Raisul Alom Mondol, to explain in two weeks why contempt of court proceedings should not be brought against them for not implementing its order.
The HC on June 23, 2009 directed them to relocate the tanneries of Hazaribagh to Savar by February 28, 2010. The court gave them a year more in two phases in 2010.
The rule was issued as the officials did not take any steps for relocating the tanneries even after the expiry of the deadline issued by the HC.
The move came after Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh filed a contempt of court petition against the present and former government officials for not executing the order.
After hearing the petition, the HC bench of Justice Md Akhtakul Islam and Justice Md Ashraful Kalam issued the rule against them.
Petitioner counsel Manzill Murshid told the court that the environment of Dhaka is being polluted as the tanneries were not removed.
