Hill razing in Cox's Bazar: Environment secy, DC, SP face contempt of court rule

Nine government officials, including the secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the deputy commissioner of Cox's Bazar, and the superintendent of police, have been charged with contempt of court for failing to follow the High Court's 2012 orders to stop hill razing in the district.

In the rule, they were given four weeks to respond with an explanation as to why they should not face the necessary legal repercussions for disobeying the HC orders.

The HC bench of Justice Md Khasruzzaman and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir Lytton issued the rule yesterday (August 23, 2022) following a contempt of court petition the Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh filed.

HRPB's lawyer Manzill Murshid told The Daily Star that following a writ petition the HC on July 19, 2012, had directed the officials concerned of the government to take necessary steps to stop hill razing in Cox's Bazar to protect its environment.

Hill razing and damaging the environment in the district are reportedly going on in violation of the HC verdict, but the officials concerned are not taking any action which is tantamount to the content of court, he said today (August 24, 2022).

The nine officials against whom the contempt of court rule was issued are Environment, Forest and Climate Change Secretary Farhins Ahmed; Director General of Department of Environment Abdul Hamid; Cox's Bazar DC Md Mamunur Rashid and its SP Md Hasanuzzaman; district's Ukhiya Upazila Nirbahi Officer Imran Hossain Sajib; Cox's Bazar Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Zakaria; Officers in Charge of Ukhiya and Cox's Bazar police stations, and Cox's Bazar Department of Environment official Md Saiful Ashraf, said Lawyer Manzill Murshid.