HC directs DoE to name polluters in media

The High Court today directed the Department of Environment (DoE) to publish in the media the names and identities of establishments responsible for polluting the environment after taking action against them, so that the public can be informed.

In the same verdict, the court declared illegal a 2022 decision by the DoE not to disclose in the media the names of polluting establishments against which action had been taken.

The HC bench of Justice Farid Ahmed and Justice Syed Mohammed Tazrul Hossain delivered the verdict following a writ petition filed by rights body Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), which challenged the legality of the DoE’s decision.

According to the petition, the decision was reportedly taken in April 2022 to withhold the identities of polluters in order to “protect their reputation”.

Senior Advocate Manzill Murshid appeared for HRPB, while Advocate Muntasir Uddin represented the DoE during the hearing.

On June 13, 2022, following a preliminary hearing, the High Court had issued a rule asking the government to explain why the DoE’s decision should not be declared unlawful and why it should not be directed to disclose the names of polluters.

After a series of hearings in November and December 2025, the HC bench delivered its verdict today.