The High Court on Wednesday directed the authorities concerned to remove plastic and other accumulated waste from the banks of the Buriganga River within 15 days.
The court also ordered the authorities to submit a compliance report within four weeks after implementing the directive.
A High Court bench comprising Justice Ahmed Sohel and Justice SM Iftekhar Uddin Mahmud passed the order following a hearing on an application.
The order applies specifically to the riverbanks in the Islambag area under Lalbagh and Kamrangirchar police stations.
The Director General of the Department of Environment, Chairman of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka, and Officers-in-Charge (OCs) of Lalbagh and Kamrangirchar police stations have been directed to ensure implementation of the order.
The court issued the directive following an application filed on 30 August by human rights organisation Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB). Deputy Attorney General Khan Ziaur Rahman represented the state during the hearing.
Earlier in 2010, the High Court, while hearing a writ petition filed by HRPB seeking measures to prevent pollution of the Buriganga River, had prohibited the dumping of plastic and other waste on the riverbanks.
Despite the court’s earlier order remaining in force, reports of waste accumulation along the riverbanks recently emerged. A report published on 19 August revealed that hundreds of plastic items and other waste materials had been dumped on the Buriganga riverbanks in the Islambag area under Lalbagh and Kamrangirchar police stations.
The HRPB application stated that the accumulated waste could eventually mix with the river water and worsen pollution, undermining the purpose of the 2010 High Court judgement.
Following the hearing, the High Court granted the application and issued the removal order.
