High Court to hear writ seeking cancellation of Mirsarai Economic Zone on Thursday

The High Court has set next Thursday (11 December) to hear a writ petition seeking the cancellation of the Mirsarai Economic Zone, an industrial hub now rebranded as the National Special Economic Zone (NSEZ). 

The case accuses the project of clearing thousands of acres of reserved forest and coastal mangroves in Chattogram in violation of the country's environmental laws.

The petition was filed in September by Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Kazi Akhtar Hossain, who cited an investigative report titled 'Factories rise as forest falls: Mirsarai's troubling trade-off' published in The Business Standard 5 August this year.

He confirmed the latest development, saying the bench led by Justice Foyej Ahmed fixed the hearing date on Thursday after a brief proceeding on Sunday.

Earlier on 9 September, a High Court bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Biswajit Debnath issued a Rule Nisi asking the government to explain why the NSEZ should not be declared unlawful for violating the Forest Act of 1927. 

The court noted a prima facie indication that the project had razed vast stretches of protected forest and mangrove ecosystems, causing serious ecological damage and heightening risks for communities along the coast.

The writ names the Ministry of Environment, Forest Department, Department of Environment, Mirsarai Forest Range Office, Bepza and Beza as respondents. 

Pending disposal of the Rule, the court ordered a three-month status quo on all work across the 33,805-acre zone, effectively halting development.

The petitioner also sought complete cancellation of the project and restoration of the area to its earlier natural state. The court directed him to serve notices to all respondents within 48 hours. 

The order, issued in the presence of Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, placed renewed scrutiny on the rapid expansion of coastal economic zones, which environmentalists argue are chipping away at natural storm buffers that protect millions from cyclones and tidal surges.

The freeze did not last. On an appeal filed by Bepza, Justice Farah Mahbub of the Appellate Division suspended the High Court's order on 16 November, allowing Beza and Bepza to resume land development until the Rule is fully heard and disposed of. The order was formally certified on 3 December.

Beza says the zone has secured around 18 billion dollars in investment commitments so far, including three to four billion from foreign companies. Land has been allotted to 155 investors, 15 factories are currently in operation, and another 28 are under construction.