HC clears way to evict illegal structures from Ichamati River in Pabna

The High Court today (April 24, 2022) cleared the way for the government to evict the illegal structures from four mouzas in the land of Ichamati River in Pabna.

The court scrapped its earlier order that had issued status quo on the eviction of the structures on the land of the river.

The HC bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Kamrul Hossain Mollah delivered the verdict after rejecting a writ petition filed by 43 people of Pabna challenging the legality of the eviction.

Manzill Murshid, the lawyer for the Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), who is a party in the river protection-related case, told The Daily Star that there is no legal bar for the local administration to remove the structures from four the mouzas in the land of Ichamati River following the HC verdict.

However, writ petitioners' lawyer Aneek R Haque told this correspondent that his client will move an appeal before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court challenging the HC verdict.

Meanwhile, another HC bench issued a rule asking the authorities concerned of the government to explain why their inaction to shut 99 illegal brick kilns in Brahmanbaria should not be declared illegal.

The HC bench led by Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim issued the rule following a writ petition filed by a Supreme Court lawyer-AQM Sohel Rana challenging the inaction of the authorities.

A report published by The Daily Star on February 15 said more than 99 brick kilns continue to operate in Brahmanbaria defying law and posing serious threats to the environment and public health.