High Court Orders Utilities Cut for River Polluters

In a decisive move to salvage the ecological health of the Shitalakshya River, the High Court of Bangladesh has issued a stringent mandate to disconnect the electricity and gas supplies of 20 industrial units operating along its banks. These factories have been found to be operating without mandatory Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs), directly contributing to the severe degradation of one of the nation’s most vital waterways.

Judicial Intervention and the Environment

The order was passed on Thursday, 5 March 2026, by a High Court bench comprising Justice Fahmida Quader and Justice Mohammad Asif Hassan. The ruling follows a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the advocacy group Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB).

Senior Advocate Manzill Murshid, representing the petitioners, argued that these industrial entities have consistently bypassed environmental regulations, discharging untreated chemical waste into the Shitalakshya. This judicial intervention comes nearly a year after an initial ruling on 6 May 2025, which directed a monitoring committee to assess the scale of pollution and the financial damages caused by these non-compliant factories.

Non-Compliant Industrial Units Facing Sanctions

Following a detailed inspection report submitted by the Department of Environment (DoE) on 8 December, it was revealed that despite prior warnings, numerous facilities continued to operate without functional ETPs. The court has now directed the Chairman of the BIWTA, the Director General of the DoE, and the Deputy Commissioner of Narayanganj to execute the utility disconnections immediately.

Note: The list includes 20 identified firms, including MR Dyeing, Shimul Dyeing, and Haji Rasul Dyeing, among others.

A Deadline for Accountability

The High Court has emphasised that environmental protection is not optional. Beyond the immediate severance of power and gas, the authorities have been tasked with submitting a comprehensive compliance report by 30 April 2026.

This crackdown represents a significant shift towards “green accountability” in Narayanganj’s industrial belt. For decades, the Shitalakshya has suffered from oxygen depletion and toxic toxicity, threatening both biodiversity and the livelihoods of those dependent on the river. By targeting the “lifelines” of these factories—their energy and fuel—the judiciary aims to force a permanent shift toward sustainable industrial practices.