The High Court has asked the government to establish a ‘wetland ministry’ to protect, improve and preserve wetlands across the country.

A bench of Justice Md Ashraful Kamal and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil issued the directive in a 132-page full judgement that was posted on the Supreme Court website on Sunday.

The High Court delivered the full verdict in a public interest litigation writ petition filed by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association in 2014 challenging the legality of developing Sonargaon Economic Zone, which was earlier called Sonargaon Resort City, by Unique Property Development Limited on 1,868 bighas of land.

The court earlier in a short judgement delivered on December 2, 2020 declared the activities of the project illegal.

The court in the full verdict observed that the company encroached on crop fields, wetlands and low-lying areas in six mouzas at Pirojpur, Jynopur, Chhaihisa, Charbhabnapur, Batibandha and Ratanpur in Sonargaon in Narayanganj.

Creation of a wetland ministry is among the 11 directives given by the High Court in the full judgement.

The court asked the government to geographically locate all wetlands of the country through satellite and list and display them in the public sphere of the respective unions, upazilas and districts for the knowledge of people.

The court asked the authorities of all educational institutions to take awareness classes for their students in every two months about the necessity of wetlands and their protection and preservation.

The court also asked the local administration to arrange rallies, seminars and other awareness programmes about the necessity and efficacy of wetlands.

The court referring to Article 18A of the constitution said, ‘The State shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to preserve and safeguard the natural resources, biodiversity, wetlands, forests and wild life for the present and future citizens.’

The court asked the Department of Environment and the local administration to jointly assess the amount of agricultural and wetlands of the six mouzas that were encroached and filled with sands by Noor Ali, the managing director of Sonargaon Economic Zone.

The court said that the assessment was ordered to set the amount of compensations that would be paid to the people affected by the project.

The court also directed the local administration to restore the agricultural and wetlands to their original state within six months by removing sands after realising the cost from the respondents — the company and Noor Ali, also chairman of Unique Property Development Limited.

Environment and the local administration to assess the damage within six months by conducting a probe into filling of local peoples’ croplands with sands by Noor Ali and Sonargaon Economic Zone and to realise the compensation from the two respondents.

The court made it mandatory for attaching an environmental clearance certificate with an application filed by an individual or a company seeking permission to establish an Economic Zone.