Illegal structures at St Martin: Contempt rule against 11 govt officials

The High Court today issued a contempt rule against 11 government officials including four secretaries for not complying with its 2011 order asking to demolish illegal structures at St Martin's Island.

The officials are: secretaries to the ministries of forest and environment, civil aviation and tourism, fisheries and livestock and shipping, chairman of Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, director general of Department of Environment (DoE), director of DoE of Chittagong, deputy commissioner and superintendent of police of Chittagong, chief executive officer of Chittagong district’s council, and chairman St Martin's union parishad.

In the rule, the court asked the officials why they should not be prosecuted for committing contempt of court by not identifying and demolishing buildings that have been erected in the ecologically critical area of St Martin's Island without environmental clearance certificate.

The HC bench of Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Ashish Ranjan Das came up with the rule following a contempt of court petition filed by Bangladesh Environment Lawyers Association (Bela).

Citing the petition, Adv Sayeed Ahmed Kabir, a lawyer of Bela, told The Daily Star that the HC on October 24, 2011 had directed the respondents to demolish the buildings at the island, which have no environmental clearance certificate, in 60 days after receiving the order.

In 2011, the number of such structures was 74. The department of environment Chittagong office informed Bela on February 2 this year that the number of structures without having any environmental clearance is 104 at present.

Bela recently filed the contempt of court petition against the respondents for not demolishing and preventing construction of such buildings.