DHAKA, Aug 16, 2023 (BSS): The High Court today issued a rule and asked for
the satellite aerial map of Arial Beel, a wetland located in Srinagar of
Munshiganj, after hearing a writ petition brought in public interest to stop
its encroachment.

A High Court Division Bench consisting of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice
Razik Al Jalil issued the rule asking why there will be no ban on soil
filling by various individuals and housing companies occupying the wetland,
and why the inaction of the administration to stop the encroachment should
not be declared illegal.

The court also asked the authorities concerned to submit a progress report to
the court within the next three months.

Home and Public Works Secretary, Chairman of the National Housing Authority
were directed to submit the actual map of the bill.

The court also asked Munshiganj District Commissioner (DC), Superintendent of
Police (SP), Srinagar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) and Environment
Enforcement Director to ensure that nobody carries out soil filling,
construction work and encroachment activities in the Arial Beel any longer.

After a report was published about the occupation of Arial Beel in the media,
the writ was filed on August 13 by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh
(HRPB), seeking direction to preserve and free the wetland, which is
immensely important for the environment of its geological features, from all
sorts of encroachment.

Secretary of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Secretary of
Ministry of Housing and Public Works, Chairman of Rajdhani Unnayan
Kartripakkha (RAJUK), Chairman of National Housing Authority, Director
General (DG) of Directorate of Environment (DoE), its Director (Enforcement),
DC and SP of Munshiganj, UNO of Srinagar were made respondents in the writ.