HC asks agencies concerned to curb air pollution

The High Court (HC) on Monday directed the authorities concerned to submit a report within two weeks on steps taken to implement its nine-point directives issued in 2020 to curb air pollution in Dhaka.

The HC issued the directive following a fresh application filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, expressing concern over the worsening air pollution in the capital.

The HC bench comprising Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Aziz Ahmed Bhuiyan passed the verbal order after hearing the application seeking implementation of the nine-point directives issued by the High Court in 2020 to control air pollution in Dhaka.

The HC bench also fixed November 16, 2026, for the next hearing.

The respondents include the secretary of the Ministry of Environment, the mayors of Dhaka North and South city corporations, the director general of the Fire Service and Civil Defence, the director general of the Department of Environment and other concerned authorities.

The nine-point directives include spraying water at different locations across the city, covering trucks transporting sand, enclosing construction sites to prevent dust from spreading, removing market waste in bags at designated times, and shutting down illegal brick kilns in areas surrounding Dhaka.