High Court asks govt to explain failure to protect 21,020 acres of reserved forest

The High Court has issued a rule demanding an explanation from the government regarding its inaction in restoring and protecting 21,020.45 acres of the Chakaria Sundarbans. This action follows a writ petition filed by the environmental rights organization Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA).

The bench, comprising Justice Fahmida Quader and Justice Md Ashif Hasan, questioned why the notifications that de-reserve parts of this protected forest should not be declared illegal and unconstitutional. The court seeks justification for the government's failure to uphold environmental protection laws.

BELA's petition highlights the severe degradation of the Chakaria Sundarbans in Cox's Bazar. The organization contends that the mangrove forest has been almost entirely lost due to indiscriminate leasing, illegal encroachment, and de-reservation processes facilitated by gazette notifications. This destruction, BELA argues, violates the Forest Act of 1927 and Article 18A of the Constitution, which mandates the state's responsibility to protect the environment and biodiversity.

The court's rule names several respondents, including secretaries from the ministries of land, environment, forest and climate change, fisheries and livestock, and agriculture. Also included are the chief conservator of forests, the director general of the Department of Fisheries, and local administrative officials in Cox's Bazar and Chakaria. BELA seeks a directive for the authorities to cancel all illegal leases and allocations, evict unauthorized occupants, and ultimately restore and protect the remaining forest area.

Despite repeated official directives to recover the forest, BELA stated in its petition that authorities have failed to implement them effectively. The organization's legal representatives, Barrister Md Ashraf Ali and Barrister Rumana Sharmin, presented the case during the hearing.