HC summons five DCs over air pollution

The High Court yesterday summoned the director general of Department of Environment and deputy commissioners of Dhaka and four other surrounding districts -- Gazipur, Manikganj, Narayanganj and Munshiganj -- directing them to appear before it on May 17 and explain why illegal brick kilns were not shut down despite its repeated directives.

The HC bench of Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim passed the order following a petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh seeking necessary directives.

During hearing, HRPB lawyer Manzill Murshid told the HC that the DG of DoE and DCs have earlier submitted compliance reports to this court, saying that they have been shutting down illegal kilns.

But, it has been said in a newspaper report on April 19 that some illegal brick kilns, which were shut down earlier, are now running at Dhamrai in Savar, adjacent to Dhaka, and those are causing serious air and environment pollution, he said. The situation in other districts is similar.

On March 1, the HC directed the government to shut down the operations of all the illegal brick kilns in Dhaka, Gazipur, Manikganj, Narayanganj and Munshiganj in 15 days.