Rampal Power Plant
HC orders status quo
The court issues a rule upon the authorities concerned to explain within two weeks
The High Court (HC) yesterday directed the government to maintain status quo for the next two weeks on the process of setting up a proposed coal-fired power plant in Rampal upazila of Bagerhat near the Sundarbans.
In response to a writ petition, the court also issued a rule upon the authorities concerned to explain within two weeks why their decision for setting up the power plant near the Sundarbans should not be declared illegal.
The HC bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Sheikh Md Zakir Hossain fixed March 20 for hearing the rule.
Center for Human Rights Movement, a rights organisation, on Monday, filed the petition as public interest litigation challenging the government's decision to construct the power plant at Sapmari-Katakhali Mouja of Rampal.
The petitioner also sought directives from the HC on the authorities to take necessary steps for not setting up the proposed power plant in the interest of protecting the balance of environment of the Sundarbans and its natural beauty.
The petition stated that the environment of the Sundarbans, which is contesting to become one of the seven natural wonders in the world, will be damaged, if the power plant is constructed at the proposed area.
The petitioner's counsel advocate Manzil Murshid told reporters the government cannot proceed to set up the power plant for next two weeks following the HC order of status quo.
He said the government last year decided to set up the power plant based on coal, which will be brought from India.
Secretaries to the planning commission; ministries of environment and forest, land, and power and energy; director general of Department of Environment, chairman of Power Development Board and director of the power plant project concerned have been made respondents to the rule.
Deputy Attorney General ABM Altaf Hossain represented the government.
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