HC orders to evict illegal brick kilns in five districts

Court Correspondent: The High Court yesterday ordered to evict of illegal brick kilns in five districts including Dhaka within two weeks. Besides, it has been asked to sprinkle water properly on dusty roads to prevent air pollution.
The High Court bench of Justice comprising Justice KM Kamrul Quader and Justice Mohammad Ali handed down the verdict.
The order directed to cover houses or roads under construction and vehicles carrying soil and sand. The two city corporations of Dhaka and the Department of Environment have been asked to implement these orders.
The order states that the court directed the director general (DG) of the environment department to evacuate the illegal brick kilns in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Manikganj, and Gazipur districts and submit a report within two weeks.
Lawyer Amatul Karim represented the Department of Environment in the court today while senior Advocate Manzil Morsed was the counsel for the writ petitioner. Deputy Attorney General Barrister Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar represented the state.
Manzil Morsed said, in the hearing, the court expressed dissatisfaction with the report given by the two city corporations of Dhaka. The court said it is now a shame to call the concerned people including the city corporation. No preventive measures were taken despite giving orders six-seven times to prevent pollution from 2020 to 2023.
He said that the report submitted to the High Court in 2021 stated that there were more than 100 illegal brick kilns. After eviction drives, there are still (in 2023) more than 200 illegal brick kilns.
Therefore, the High Court ordered the two city corporations and the Environment Department to submit a report within two weeks of implementing the pollution prevention order.