The High Court on Monday asked the government authorities to explain in four weeks why a direction should not be given on them to frame environmental friendly policy to stop tree felling and promote tree planting.
The court also asked the secretary of the environment, forest and climate change ministry, the director general of the department of environment, the chief conservator of forests and the divisional forest officers to explain why their inaction and indifference in framing an environmental friendly policy to restrict tree felling and promote trees planting would not be declared illegal.聽
It further asked the authorities why they would not be asked to take immediate necessary steps to reduce the heat wave and the temperature in the country.
The bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Kazi Zinat Haque issued the ruling after hearing a writ petition filed by lawyer Md Tanvir Ahmed in public interest.
The petition was filed as indiscriminate tree felling was going on across the country amid the severe heat wave aggravating people since April 31.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Khasruzzaman and Justice KM Zahid Sarwar is scheduled to pass an order today on another writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh seeking the directives to constitute district and upazila level committee under a central committee to prevent tree felling across the country.聽
HRPB鈥檚 writ sought a directive on the ministry of environment, forest and climate change to form in seven days a seven members committee comprising environmentalists, environmental scientists, and professors of environment science of the Dhaka University and Jahangirnagar University, who will take decision if there is any necessary to cut trees.
The HRBP also prayed for a HC directive on the public administration ministry for issuing a circular in seven days to form district-wise committees, headed by the deputy commissioners, so that a tree could not be felled without the permission of the committee.
The HRPB sought another directive to the public administration ministry to issue a circular in seven days for forming upazila-level committees, headed by the upazila nirbahi officers, to prevent tree felling without permission from the committee.
HRPB said that before forming the committee, the environment department would seek instructions from their higher authorities to prevent tree felling.聽
The HRPB sought a rule on the authorities to explain why their failure to prevent tree felling would not be declared illegal.
HRPB sought another directive on the government authorities to explain why they would not be asked to include a provision in the social forestation rules, 2004 to provide payment for tree plantation.