HC orders closure of illegal brick kilns in hilly districts
The court ordered the deputy commissioners of the three districts to take action within a week
The High Court today (5 January) directed the closure of all illegal brick kilns operating in three hilly districts.
The bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debashish Roy Chowdhury issued the order following a public interest litigation filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh.
The petition sought the High Court's directive to halt the operations of unlicenced brick kilns in these districts, citing environmental concerns.
The Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh initially filed the petition in 2022.
Following the petition, the High Court then ordered the government to stop these illegal operations. However, no significant action was taken, and no progress reports were submitted to the court.
Advocate Manzil Morshed, representing the petitioner, argued that the brick kiln season (October to April) has already commenced, and numerous unlicensed kilns were in operation, posing a severe threat to the environment.
The court, recognising the urgency of the matter, ordered the deputy commissioners of the three districts to take action within a week to prevent the operation of illegal brick kilns.
Additionally, the deputy commissioners are required to submit a compliance report to the court within two weeks of implementing the order.