Demolish illegal brick kilns in Dhaka, adjacent districts in 14 days: HC

The High Court (HC) on Monday asked the authorities to demolish all illegal brick kilns in Dhaka and four adjoining districts – Manikganj, Munshiganj, Narsingdi, and Narayanganj – within 14 days.

The bench of Justice K M Kamrul Kader and Justice Mohammad Ali directed the Director General of the Department of Environment (DoE) to submit a report before the court after complying with the directive.

After receiving an environment department report, the court observed that there have been measures to control traffic pollution, but any action is yet to be taken against brick kilns. 

Subsequently, the court gave the department two more weeks to implement its order for checking air pollution.

The court then reiterated its order to sprinkle adequate water on the dusty roads. At the same time, the court ordered to cover under-construction houses or roads and vehicles carrying soil and sand.

Dhaka's two city corporations and the DoE have been asked to comply with these orders, lawyer Manzil Murshid said.

The court also asked the Department of Environment to stop the illegal garbage dumping in five districts around Dhaka and submit a compliance report.

Earlier on 31 January, the HC ordered a report by 5 February on what steps have been taken to deal with Dhaka's air pollution as per its direction. According to that order, the Department of Environment submitted the report on that day.

After seeing the report, the court gave two weeks to implement its order in preventing pollution.

Earlier in 2020, the High Court gave a nine-point directive to prevent air pollution after hearing the plea filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB).

The HRPB, on 30 January this year, filed a petition seeking implementation of the High Court's nine-point directive.