The Supreme Court today cleared the way for Department of Environment to collect a fine of Tk 1.04 crore from 14 industries for polluting the Buriganga river in Shyampur area of Dhaka.
The apex court stayed an order of the High Court that halted collection of the fine from the industries that have been dumping wastage into the river and damaging its environment.
The five-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Surendra Kumar Sinha passed the order after hearing a petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh challenging the HC order.
Following the HC order on January 23, 2014, the DoE operated a mobile court and fined Tk 1.04 crore to the industries. The owners of the industries then filed the petition with the HC seeking a stay on its order.
The HC stayed the order on May 31 last year in response of the owners’ petition. That’s why, the DoE could not collect the fine, said HRPB petitioner Manzil Murshid.
The apex court today passed the order after HRPB moved a petition with the Appellate Division against the HC’s stay order. So, there is no legal bar for the DoE for collecting the fine of Tk 1.04 crore from the industries.
