HC orders publication of names of environmental polluters within 7 days

The High Court has ordered the Department of the Environment (DOE) to publish the names of organizations and individuals who have been fined or imprisoned for polluting the environment, on the DoE website and in local media. mass by issuing press releases within seven days.

The court ordered the chief executive (DG) of the environment department to implement the order and submit a report to the court within two weeks.

The court also issued a rule asking why the DoE’s recent decision not to release polluters’ names would not be declared illegal.

At the same time, the High Court wanted to know why the defendants’ inaction to disclose the names of the polluters would not be unlawful and why the disclosure of the names would not be directed.

The environment and information secretaries, the chief executive of the environment department and seven other affected people have been asked to respond to the rule within four weeks.

A preliminary hearing on the motion in brief regarding this issue was held on Monday.

The High Court bench of Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim issued the order and rule.

Lawyer Manzil Morshed filed the petition on behalf of Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh.

Manzil Morshed told the media that the Ministry of Environment has not recently published the list of names of organizations and owners of organizations, who have been fined or imprisoned, on its website.

The DoE just released on fined or compensated money and imprisonment.

“But the Environmental Protection Act says to release those names. The Right to Information Act also gives the public the legal right to know those names,” Morshed said.

He added that the DoE had decided not to release the names of recent polluters.

The Petition in Brief was filed to challenge these illegal activities and the decisions of the Ministry of the Environment.

The lawyer said in the brief motion that if the names of the defendants were revealed, others would be cautious and afraid of polluting the environment.