HC holds first virtual hearing; asks for protecting dolphins in Halda
In its first virtual hearing, the High Court on Tuesday directed the authorities concerned to immediately take necessary steps to safeguard dolphins in the Halda River in Chattogram’s Raozan upazila and stop their killings.
As well, the court asked them to submit a report through email in 72 hours on what measures taken up to avoid the killing of dolphins.
The High Court bench of Justice Obaidul Hassan came up with the order after holding a virtual hearing on a writ petition filed in the kind of public litigation.
Secretaries to the Ministries of Fisheries and Livestock, and Forest and Environment, director general of Department of Environment, director of DoE in Chattogram, deputy commissioner of Chattogram and Raozan Upazila Nirbahi officer have been made respondents to its directives.
Supreme Court attorney Barrister Abdul Qaium Liton filed the writ on Monday seeking necessary directives to protect dolphins in the river.
The writ petitioner represented himself in the event while Attorney General Mahbubey Alarm, Additional Attorney General Murad Reza, Deputy Attorney General Samarendranath Biswas and Deputy Attorney General Amit Talukder stood for the state during the virtual hearing.
Describing the virtual hearing as an excellent experience, Abdul Qaium said the legal representatives took part in the hearing through videoconferencing from their homes and the court ordered protection of dolphins. "Today is a historic day for the High Court. The High Court entered the virtual world through the hearing of the case.”
According to a written report published in an English national daily on, may 10 on the killing of dolphins, a survey on dolphins of the Halda River was conducted from September 2018 to February 2019 by making use of UNDP.
Based on the survey, there have been 45 dolphins in the Halda River but 24 of these have already been killed by enough time.
Based on the report, if the dolphins are killed in this way, the Halda River will be dolphin-free by 2022.
Source: www.theindependentbd.com
