Justice Zafar Ahmed, a member of the division bench of High Court, on Wednesday said he was “embarrassed” to hear the writ petition seeking halt of Rampal power plant.
According to the High Court Rules, the bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Zafar Ahmed would now send the matter to Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain, who would fix another division bench for settlement of the issue.
On Monday, the bench began the hearing on the plea that sought the court’s directives to stop the construction of the 1,320MW coal-fired power plant at Rampal, on the bank of the Pashur River near the Sundarbans. It set Wednesday for further hearing, but Justice Zafar felt uncomfortable to hear the plea on Wednesday.
Many environmentalists caution the plant will have a detrimental impact on the natural wonder of the Sundarbans, which will ultimately prove disastrous for Bangladesh.
Manzill Murshid, the petitioners’ lawyer, had urged the court to direct the government to form a committee consisting of national and international experts to assess the impact of the proposed plant on the environment and on the lives of the common people of the surrounding area.
The petition, filed on Sunday, sought a stay order on the project until submission of the final report by the experts’ committee.
The plea also sought the High Court’s directive so that the government could take necessary steps to protect the Sundarbans from damages to the ecosystem and the local environment. It also pressed for setting up the power plant in any environmentally friendly area as advised by the committee.
