The Department of Environment (DoE) carried out coordinated mobile court drives in Dhaka city and various parts of the country to curb pollution.

In Dhaka, mobile courts were conducted at major cattle market sites, including Shahjahanpur, near Dhaka Polytechnic Institute, Gabtoli Cattle Market, the eastern side of Donia College, and beside Chantek Women’s Madrasa.

Waste management issues were discussed with members of the market management committees and traders. Leaflets were distributed, and instructions were given to use loudspeakers for raising awareness on proper disposal of sacrificial animal waste.

On the same day, another mobile court was conducted in the Bangla College and Technical areas against vehicles emitting black smoke.

A total of eight cases were filed and fined Tk 18,000 and 17 illegal horns were seized.

In Chuadanga district, a mobile court was conducted under the Noise Pollution (Control) Rules, 2006. Three cases were filed and fined Tk 2,000 and seized seven horns.

From 2 January to 2 June this year, a total of 999 mobile court drives were conducted nationwide by the DoE to curb environmental pollution.

During the drivers, 2,361 cases were filed and Tk 252.6 million were fined.

Key enforcement actions included the demolition and complete shutdown of 479 brick kiln chimneys, closure orders for 216 kilns, destruction of raw bricks at 132 kilns, disconnection of electricity to 15 establishments, one-month imprisonment without labor for two individuals, and seizure of eight truckloads of lead/battery melting equipment from six factories, which were subsequently shut down.

The anti-pollution drives by the DoE will continue in the future.