Air pollutionHC summons DNCC, DSCC CEOs

Bangladesh's capital Dhaka has continued to rank among the most polluted cities.

The High Court on Sunday summoned the chief executive officers (CEOs) of two Dhaka city corporations asking them to appear before it on May 15 to explain their reports on steps taken to check air pollution in their respective areas.

The HC bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader passed the order after expressing their dissatisfaction as proper information on the steps taken over air pollution was absent in the report.

Advocate Manzill Murshid stood for the petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar represented the state and Advocate Nurunnahar argued for the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC).

Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh filed a writ on January 27 last over the air pollution caused by multiple under-construction development projects in the city.

On January 28, the HC ordered the Department of Environment (DoE) to conduct mobile court drives twice a week to take legal actions against those responsible for air pollution in the capital.

The court had also asked the authorities concerned to take steps to surround areas undergoing development and repair works within the next 15 days to prevent the dust swirling. It had ordered to spray water in ‘dusk-prone’ areas twice a day.

The mayors of the two city corporations, their CEOs and the DoE director general were asked to submit a report by March 13.

However, the two city corporations failed to produce any paper before the court on whether they complied with its order.