HC wants list of chemical warehouses in Old Dhaka

The High Court on Tuesday directed the government to submit a list of buildings that houses chemical warehouses, shops and factories in the old part of Bangladesh capital Dhaka to it by April 17.


The High Court also asked the government to submit to the court by the time a progress report of relocating the chemical warehouses to Shyampur and Tongi by constructing a temporary Chemical Palli and to Sirajdikhan in Munshiganj by making permanent chemical factories. 


The court directed the secretaries of ministries of the industries and the environment and climate change, the mayor of Dhaka South City, Rajdhani Unnayan Katripakkha’s chairman and the director-general of Fire Service and Civil Defence to submit the list and the progress report.  


A bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice SM Maniruzzaman issued the directive after hearing a public interest litigation writ petition filed by five human rights groups and two individuals.


They are Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust, Nijera Kori, Ain o Salish Kendra, Association for Land Reform and Development and two guardians of Churihata chemical fire victims Md Nasir Uddin and Fatema Akter. 


Supreme Court lawyer and right activist Syeda Rizwana Hasan appeared for the petitioners./ age