Contempt of court: HC to deliver order on 2 executive magistrates Jan 31

The High Court will deliver its order on a contempt of court petition on January 31, filed against two executive magistrates for not complying with its order over shutting down the illegal brick kilns at Chandanaish and Lohagara upazilas in Chattogram.

The two executive magistrates are SM Alamgir and Zillur Rahman.

The HC bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Kamrul Hossain Mollah set the date today for passing the order after concluding hearing on the petition.

Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), a rights organisation, filed the contempt of court petition with the HC on January 20 against executive magistrate of Chandanaish SM Alamgir and executive magistrate of Lohagara Zillur Rahman.

The organisation said in the petition that the HC, following a writ petition, on December 14 last year directed the authorities concerned of the government to take necessary steps to shut the illegal brick kilns in Chattogram in a week to save the environment.

On December 31 last year, executive magistrate SM Alamgir and on January 18 this year executive magistrate Zillur Rahman fined some illegal brick kilns at Chandanaish and Lohagara respectively and gave them two months' time to collect environmental clearance certificates without shutting them down, the petitioner said.

During hearing today, petitioner's counsel Manzill Murshid told the HC that the executive magistrates have not closed the illegal brick kilns which is a violation of the HC directive and amounts to contempt of court.

Manzill Murshid prayed to the HC to issue a contempt of court rule against the two executive magistrates and issue summons asking them to appear before it to offer their explanation on the matter.