The High Court has issued an injunction on all activities related to the construction of a Secondary Transfer Station (STS) by the Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) for waste accumulation in Bhawal National Park and its adjacent reserved forest land.
The court further directed the city corporation to refrain from dumping waste within the national park and its surrounding areas.
A High Court bench, comprising Justice Bhishmadev Chakrabortty and Justice Md Abdur Rahman, passed the order on Monday, following a preliminary hearing of a petition filed by the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA).
The court also issued a rule asking why the failure of relevant authorities to stop the unauthorised construction of the STS on reserved forest and private land, alongside the continuous dumping of waste at the park’s main gate and other locations, should not be declared illegal and against public interest.
Furthermore, the court sought an explanation as to why the Gazipur City Corporation should not be ordered to pay compensation for the damage caused to the park and the forest.
The respondents named in the rule include the Secretary of the Local Government Division under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives; the Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; the Director General of the Department of Environment (DoE); the Deputy Director of the DoE Gazipur District Office; and the Chief Conservator of Forests.
According to S Hasanul Banna, a lawyer for BELA, the Gazipur City Corporation has long been dumping waste collected from various areas along the boundary walls and the main gate of Bhawal National Park.
This practice has had a severe negative impact on the park’s environment, ecological system, wildlife habitats, and biodiversity, while also causing significant public suffering as waste spills onto the highway.
Although waste dumping was previously halted in 2024 and 2025 due to interventions by the Forest Department, the city corporation recently resumed the practice, ignoring all departmental objections.
It also initiated the unauthorised construction of an STS on adjacent reserved forest and private land.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had previously requested the Local Government Division to refrain from constructing the STS on forest land; however, the Gazipur City Corporation ignored the request and accelerated the construction work.
BELA filed the lawsuit to ensure the protection of the environment, ecology, and wildlife of the park. Advocate Minhajul Haque Chowdhury represented the petitioner, assisted by Advocate Rumana Sharmin and Touhidul Alam.
