No illegal brickfields

Discoloured leaves of a tree at Aminbazar on the outskirts of the capital show signs of the impact the nearby brick kiln has had on them. A thick layer of dust coming from kilns settles on crops and trees and blocks the photosynthesis process. Also, the ashes and smoke that spread to the adjacent locality pose public health hazards. The photo was shot recently. Photo: Rashed Shumon

The High Court yesterday issued a rule upon the government to explain in six weeks why it should not be directed to remove the brickfields and sawmills running illegally in 11 districts.
The places, where the anomalies have been seen, are Dhaka, Narayanganj, Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Khulna, Magura, Rangpur, Noakhali, Barisal, Barguna and Bandarban.
In response to a writ petition filed as public interest litigation, the court also asked the government to explain why it should not be directed to take departmental action against the officials responsible for allowing operations of the illegal brickfields and sawmills.
Secretaries to the cabinet division and the ministries of public administration and environment; deputy commissioners of the 11 districts; director general of Department of Environment; and chief forest conservator have been made respondents to the rule.
The HC bench of Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar came up with the rule after holding a hearing on the petition.
Supreme Court lawyers Mohammad Hossain, Shahin Ahmed, Habibur Rahman, Tanvir Parvez and Abdullah al Matin jointly filed the petition on February 12 following several reports published in The Daily Star and the Prothom Alo stating that a number of illegal brickfields and sawmills were damaging the environment in the districts.
The petitioners sought directives from the HC on the government to remove the brickfields and sawmills, and to take legal action against the officials concerned and people responsible for such act.
On February 14, the HC bench directed The Daily Star and the Prothom Alo to submit the materials, upon which the reports were published, before it for scrutiny.
The newspapers submitted the materials to the court recently through their lawyers.
While passing the order yesterday, the HC appreciated the dailies for publishing the reports, saying that those would assist the country's development, Advocate Mohammad Hossain, a petitioner and also the counsel for the petitioners, said.
The HC also said more such reports should be published in the interest of the country, he added.
Barrister Rokanuddin Mahmmud assisted by Barrister Mustafizur Rahman Khan and Advocate Safayat Sultana Rumi argued for The Daily Star, while Advocate Iqbal Kabir Lytton stood for Prothom Alo.