HC Declares Wetlands 'Public Trust Property'

A copy of the full judgment of the High Court regarding the directive to form a separate 'Ministry of Wetlands' for the protection, development and management of the country's wetlands has been published. The verdict has given 11 instructions to protect all the wetlands of the country. At the same time the wetland has been declared a public trust property.

The 132-page verdict was published on Sunday (July 18th) after a High Court bench comprising Justice Md Ashraful Kamal and Justice Rajique al Jalil delivered the verdict.

In the verdict, the court asked to enact laws for protection, development and management of wetlands. Apart from this, all educational institutions were also instructed to take one-hour classes on wetland protection. The court also opined that a renewable energy law should be enacted, a ministry of renewable energy should be set up and a commission should be formed to build an environmentally friendly developed country.

The court ruled that separate bicycle lanes should be set up on all roads in the country, including Dhaka, saying it would improve the country.

The verdict also called for the closure of plastic bags and the formation of development authorities to protect parts of world heritage such as the Sundarbans, the historic mosque in Bagerhat, and the Paharpur Buddhist monastery.

In a separate directive, the court directed to send a copy of the verdict to all concerned government offices, including the Prime Minister's Office, to make Bangladesh environmentally friendly.