The High Court (HC) yesterday issued status quo on earth filling in rivers Meghna and Menikhali, occupying land of the water bodies and construction of structures there, reports BSS. A High Court vacation bench comprising Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and Justice Ahmed Sohel passed the order after holding hearing on a plea in this regard.

Rights group Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) filed the writ on September 9 after different national dailies carried out reports over the matter.

“The court issued status quo and also issued a rule. The court in the rule asked why the inaction of the concerned authorities in stopping earth filling in rivers Meghna and Menikhali, occupying land of the water bodies and construction of structures there, shall not be declared illegal,” HRPB counsel advocate Manjil Morshed said.

Advocate Morshed said the High Court asked the authorities to reply to the rule within four weeks.