Stop brick-kilns, sawmills in Lahagara forest area: HC

16 December 2011, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

The High Court on Thursday directed the government to stop operation of 22 brickfields and 20 sawmills adjacent to the reserved forest area in Lohagara upazila of Chittagong in two days. The HC order came after Bangladesh Environment Lawyers' Association (Bela) filed a writ petition. The petition said the brickfields and sawmills, which were established violating the Forest Act 1927 and Sawmill Rules 1998, have been destroying the reserved forest and environment in the area. The HC bench of Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Md Khurshid Alam Sarker also asked the deputy commissioner of Chittagong to submit a report in 72 hours informing the development of implementation of the order. The court also issued a rule upon the officials concerned to explain in three weeks why setting up of the brickfields and sawmills beside the reserved forest area should not be declared illegal.