HC pauses Cox’s Bazar beach road work

Dhaka: The High Court has ordered an eight-week suspension of road construction on the sand dunes of Cox’s Bazar sea beach amid allegations that the project violates an earlier court directive to protect the area’s natural features.

A bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Aziz Ahmed Bhuiyan issued the order after hearing a contempt petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) and a separate writ petition brought by the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA).

The court also issued a rule and kept the contempt proceedings adjourned for eight weeks.

The petitions followed media reports that construction had continued on the beach dunes despite a 2011 High Court ruling directing authorities to preserve Cox’s Bazar’s natural characteristics and remove structures erected on the sand dunes. Several structures were later removed twice under court orders.

During the hearing, BELA lawyer Minhajul Haque Chowdhury said Cox’s Bazar beach is part of an Ecologically Critical Area and therefore requires environmental clearance before development activities begin. He alleged that authorities secured only land-use permission before starting the road project.

HRPB Senior Advocate Manzill Murshid said the construction was damaging the beach’s natural features and constituted contempt of court.

Attorney General Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal opposed the interim suspension, arguing that the road is part of a government-approved project intended to improve public movement.