The High Court has declared illegal a decision by the Department of Environment (DOE) that kept the names of companies responsible for environmental pollution from being disclosed in the media.
The ruling now instructs that the names of any polluting firms must be made public once the authorities take action against them.
The verdict came on Wednesday, from a bench comprising Justice Farid Ahmed and Justice Syed Mohammad Tazrul Hossain, following a writ petition challenging the Department of Environment’s 2022 directive.
In 2022, the DOE decided that the names of companies subject to its enforcement actions would not be published in newspapers or other media. The non-government organisation, Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, filed a writ petition questioning the legality of the decision, citing the public’s right to know.
The petition listed five respondents, including the Environment Secretary, the Information Secretary, and the Department of Environment Director General.
After hearing the case, the High Court had issued a rule on 13 June 2022, asking the DOE to explain why its policy should not be declared illegal and why the names of polluting companies should not be made public.
On Wednesday, the court issued its final verdict, declaring the policy unlawful and directing that the names of polluting firms be disclosed in the media whenever enforcement action is taken.
During the hearing, Advocate Monjil Morshed, representing the petitioners, argued that the DOE’s decision was intended to protect the interests of the companies in question.
He said the department’s responsibility is to take steps to control pollution and ensure these measures are publicised. By withholding the information, the DOE had adopted a policy contrary to the law.
The DOE was represented by Advocate Muntasir Uddin Ahmed in the proceedings.
The ruling is expected to strengthen transparency and public accountability in environmental enforcement, ensuring that citizens are informed about firms responsible for pollution.
