The High Court has issued a ruling seeking to know why the authorities' inaction and capriciousness in temperature control should not be declared illegal as they do not frame environment-friendly policies for planting and felling trees. At the same time, the rule sought to know why there should not be an order to formulate environment-friendly policies in the matter of planting and felling of trees.
The High Court bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Kazi Zeenat Haque issued the ruling on Monday (May 6). Advocate Tanveer Ahmed heard on behalf of the writ in the court.
Earlier on Sunday (May 5) another writ has been filed in the High Court seeking a directive to stop the cutting of trees across the country including the capital Dhaka to protect the environment.
A writ has been filed by attaching reports published in various newspapers regarding the fact that thousands of trees are being cut in various areas despite the recent increase in temperature and hardship of public life.
Human rights and environmental organization Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) filed a writ petition in public interest. Senior advocate Manzil Morsed filed the writ on behalf of HRPB.
It should be noted that the heatwave has been going on in the country for more than a month. Due to this, extreme discomfort is created in public life. The workers are in trouble. Educational activities are disrupted.
Due to rains in different parts of the country including Dhaka in the last few days, the temperature is somewhat normal. However, heat flow is still flowing over some parts of the country. Issues such as climate change, development, forestry, urbanization, cutting and planting trees are relevantly discussed in the history of the country during such a long heat wave. There have been reports about this in the media.
Lawyer Manzil Morset said, the writ application has been made by adding news reports published in various media about cutting or planting trees during the heat wave.
It has been said in the writ petition that the amount of trees and vegetation required in Dhaka city for healthy living is decreasing day by day. The ongoing heat wave has made life miserable for people. The right to decent life is being violated.
It has also been said that the indiscriminate cutting of trees for various reasons has an adverse effect on the environment. If the indiscriminate cutting of trees is not stopped, there will be a terrible environmental disaster in the country. People's right to life will be seriously affected.'
The directions sought in the writ are to form a seven-member committee consisting of environmental experts, scientists, environmentalists and teachers within seven days to control the cutting of trees in Dhaka city. The writ petitioner has sought this direction from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Along with this, instructions have been sought from the Ministry of Public Administration to form a committee headed by the District Commissioner and the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) at the upazila level to stop tree cutting. It has been requested to give instructions to form this committee within seven days by keeping environment officer, social welfare officer, land officer, executive engineer of local government engineering department, college principal, social worker, environmentalist, district lawyer association president or general secretary and civil surgeon in this committee.
In the writ application, it is also requested to give instructions that no one can cut trees without the permission of the committee at the local level. If these instructions are given, instructions have been sought from the concerned defendants to implement them within two weeks and give a report to the court.
Apart from this, why should the inaction of the defendants not be declared illegal, why should measures not be taken in Dhaka and the district and upazila cities of the country to take measures to stop tree cutting and why should the provision of funding to the contracted parties be added as per the Social Forestry Rules, 2004? It will not be, the request to issue a rule has been informed in the writ.
Cabinet Secretary, Chief Secretary of Prime Minister's Office, Environment Secretary, Local Government Secretary, Public Administration Secretary, Director General of Environment Department, Chief Executive Officer of Dhaka North and South City Corporation, Chief Engineer of Directorate of Local Government Engineering, Chief Forest Conservator and Inspector General of Police have been made defendants.
Bangladesh /SS