The High Court on Tuesday ordered taking prior permission from the authorities concerned for felling trees.
The High Court bench of Justice Fahmida Quader and Justice Mubina Asaf passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed over the issue.
The court also asked the senior secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration to form a committee within seven days to get permission for cutting trees at the district level.
The committee should comprise an environmentalist, an environment expert, and professors of the Department of Environmental Science from Dhaka University and Jahangirnagar University.
The deputy commissioner, district environment officer, professor of a government college, social worker, environmentalist, the president and general secretary of the District Bar Association and district civil surgeons must be included in the committee.
In the case of the upazila level, the court also asked the senior secretary of the Public Administration to issue another circular to the deputy commissioners to form another committee within seven days with the upazila nirbahi officers, professors of the government colleges, social worker, environmentalist, social worker officer, assistant commissioner (land) and executive engineers of LGED.
Besides, according to the Social Forestry Rules 2004, trees planted under this program cannot be cut down and instead, an amount equivalent to the value of the trees must be paid to the owner of the plant.
The court also provided instructions to amend the Social Forestry Rules accordingly.
In its observation, the court said that as temperatures continue to rise in the country, it is essential to preserve more trees.
“Widespread deforestation will disrupt the balance of our environment, undermining our right to live,” it added.
The court further said that Bangladesh does not have the necessary number of trees required to maintain environmental balance and protecting these trees is critically important for the environment.
On May 5, 2024, a rights organization named Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), filed a writ petition seeking steps to stop pollution.
On May 7, last year, the High Court issued a rule asking the government to explain why tree cutting in two cities of Dhaka, district and upazila level, should not be declared contradictory to the human rights and why a seven-member committee should not be formed in all levels to give permission for cutting trees.
