Govt asked to stop hill cutting
The High Court yesterday directed the government to immediately take steps to stop cutting hills, and appropriate legal actions against those who are involved in such activities in Cox's Bazar.
In response to a writ petition, an HC bench ordered the authorities concerned of the government to continuously monitor all the hill areas of the district so that none can cut the hills.
The bench of Justice Farid Ahmed and Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif asked the police to submit a report after complying with the directives to it within 10 days.
It also issued a rule upon the authorities to explain within three weeks why their inaction in protecting the hills in Cox's Bazar should not be declared illegal.
Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) filed the petition as public interest litigation yesterday following a report published in the Prothom Alo on June 20 with a headline "Jhukipurno Pahare Bari Nirman" (construction of houses at risky hills)'.
The organisation prayed to the court to pass necessary orders on the authorities to stop cutting hills and protect the environment of the areas.
Petitioner's counsel Manzill Murshid told The Daily Star that the deputy commissioner (DC) and superintendent of police (SP) of Cox's Bazar, and Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNO) of Teknaf and Ukhia of the district and officers-in-charge (OC) of Teknaf and Ukhiya police stations have to monitor the hill areas to stop cutting hills.
The SP and OCs have to take legal actions, including filing criminal cases against those who are cutting hills, he said, adding that the SP and OCs also have to submit the compliance report to the court, as per the HC order.
Secretaries to the Prime Minister's Office, and Environment and forests ministry, director general of the Department of Environment, and the DC, SP, UNO's and OCs have been made respondents to the rule.
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