The High Court on Monday rejected the two writ petitions that challenged a government decision to release genetically modified (GM) crop Bt Brinjal.
The bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice ABM Altaf Hossain passed the not-press reject order after hearing both the sides.
A not-press rejected matter cannot be moved in another High Court bench until the party places new legal points.
Deputy Attorney General Bishwajit Roy told reporters that the government now could market Bt Brinjal without any legal bar.
Farida Akhter, organiser of Naya Krishi Andolon and Sakiul Millat Morshed, executive director of Shishuk, an NGO, lodged the writs on July 29 claiming that the modified Brinjal would cause harm to public health, animals and environment.
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) developed the varieties – Bt Uttara, Bt Kajla, Bt Noyontara and Bt Isd 006 – from local varieties by inserting the Bt gene, patented by Monsanto.
They developed the Bt brinjal varieties after seven years of experiments since 2006 with the technical support of Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco) in which the American seed giant Monsanto has 26% stake.
BARI claimed that the Bt varieties would reduce the use of pesticides remarkably as they are resistant to the most common brinjal pest.