Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed on Monday said that the judiciary of Bangladesh has undertaken various permanent legal initiatives to protect the environment.
Referring to several landmark judgments by the country’s apex court concerning hazardous industries such as ship-breaking, the chief justice said that Bangladesh’s judiciary has taken the lead in establishing environmental rights as fundamental rights.
He made these remarks while speaking at a program titled "Climate Justice and the Constitution: Reflections from the Global South", held at New York University (NYU) Abu Dhabi, according to a press release issued by the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
The program explored the relationship between constitutions, human rights, and climate change from the perspective of developing countries like Bangladesh, which are particularly vulnerable to environmental risks.
“A review of history shows that while developed countries have contributed the most to carbon emissions, it is the developing countries—which emit relatively less—that are now bearing the brunt of the devastating effects of climate change. Therefore, the climate crisis is not merely an environmental emergency; it is fundamentally a crisis of justice,” said the chief justice.
Delivering a powerful message to the future generation of legal professionals, he added: “Climate justice is no longer a delayed ideal; it is now a constitutional commitment.”
The chief justice urged the next generation of lawyers and judges to adopt a focused and principled approach to environmental protection in lawmaking, law enforcement, and the judicial process.
