A bench of the High Court issued a rule on Monday, questioning why the occupation and pollution of the historic Pransayer Canal, flowing through Satkhira, should not be declared unconstitutional, illegal, and against public interest due to the failure to recover and preserve it, violating the constitution and existing laws.
The bench, consisting of Justice Md Akram Hossain Chowdhury and Justice Rasheduzzaman Raja, issued this order.
The court also sought to know why orders should not be issued for determining the boundary of the canal along its main flow, evicting all occupiers and harmful structures, and identifying sources of pollution for controlling it, in order to recover, preserve, and protect the canal.
In addition to issuing the rule, the High Court directed the authorities concerned to prepare a time-bound action plan to determine the boundary of the canal, evict the existing encroachments, and identify and control the sources of pollution.
Furthermore, the court directed the submission of a report regarding the implementation of these orders.
These interim orders have been issued to the director general of the Bangladesh Water Development Board, the deputy commissioner of Satkhira district, the administrator of Satkhira municipality, the executive engineer (Operation and Maintenance) of the Bangladesh Water Development Board in Satkhira, and the deputy director of the Department of Environment in Satkhira.
The order was passed after the initial hearing of a public interest litigation (No 446/2025) filed by the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA).
The Pransayer Canal which connects the Betna and Morichchap rivers, is 13 kilometres long. It is one of the primary means for drainage in the city and holds special importance as a link between the Betna and Morichchap rivers.
Historically, the canal played an essential role in communication. However, like other rivers and canals in the country, the canal is facing a crisis due to occupation and pollution.
The canal has been encroached upon by various illegal structures, including shops and houses.
In 2019, the Bangladesh Water Development Board, Satkhira, prepared a list of 820 illegal occupiers and 168 illegal structures, but the Pransayer Canal remains encroachment-free.
In addition to the encroachment, various non-biodegradable and harmful wastes, including plastic and polythene, are being dumped in the canal, polluting its water.
Waste such as livestock blood and other residues from an unauthorized slaughterhouse in the Satkhira market are directly dumped into the canal.
Moreover, drainage connections from the market and adjacent residential areas lead into the canal, and household waste is regularly disposed of in the canal.
As a result, the canal has lost its natural characteristics and has become a stagnant drain.
To protect the canal, BELA filed the public interest case mentioned above.
