SC clears way to shut down 24 illegal brick kilns in Ctg

The Supreme Court yesterday stayed the High Court orders that prohibited the authorities concerned from evicting 24 illegal brick kilns having no valid licence in Chattogram, clearing the way for shutting them down.

Chamber judge of the Appellate Division of the SC Justice Hasan Foez Siddique passed the stay orders following eight leave to appeal petitions filed by Department of Environment (DoE) challenging the HC orders.

The apex court chamber judge also sent the petitions to its full bench for their detailed hearing on June 21, DoE lawyer Manzill Murshid told The Daily Star.

He said following a petition from rights body Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, the HC bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Kamrul Hossain Mollah on December 14 last year ordered the government to shut down all illegal brick fields in Chattogram.

Multiple appeals were filed by the owners of some illegal brick yards with the Appellate Division seeking stay on the HC directive. However, the apex court chamber judge refused to pass any stay order on the HC directive.

On March 18, the HC issued a contempt of court rule against deputy commissioner of Chattogram and its DoE officials as they did not fully comply with the HC directive.