Defending Environmental Rights and Promoting Justice

Highlights of results achieved: - to facilitate the transition from a project to a programme approach, a new Strategic Plan of BELA (2018-2022) was developed and adopted. - a new programme proposal has been developed and approved by the Embassy of Sweden for a four year (2019-2022) support of the activities of BELA. - the monitoring and evaluation manual, financial and administrative manuals of BELA were updated. - legal notices, contempt notices, concern letters and applications have been served on 31 different issues ranging from unlawful sand extraction, protection of rivers, unlawful setting up of brick fields, hill cutting and illegal construction of housing,  and banning of plastic and polythene etc. - sixteen new cases were filed regarding issues ranging from unlawful setting up and operation of brick fields in agricultural lands, unauthorized construction of markets on the No Development Zone and Ecological Critical Area, hazardous operation of a metal factory, unauthorized, hazardous and polluting operation of a tannery, unlawful sand extraction, protection of forest lands, forests and trees from conversion, contrary/adverse use etc. - existing cases were pursued through legal measures and outside courts. Many replies/oppositions have been filed and hearings of cases held. Community consultations and round tables were arranged to inform communities about the court orders/judgments and to organize them for effective follow-up. Documents have been collected as evidence for the legal battles and replies/affidavit-in-oppositions have been filed. For 24 cases further hearings have been held. - 35 community consultations, 6 day observance events and 6 meetings with strategic alliances were held. - 15 different issue based discussions/workshops etc. were organised. For example a round table on “PIL review” was jointly organized with ALRD at Bogura (participants 85). Honourable Justices of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, lawyers, environmental activists, civil society members, invited media people and community members attended the program. This event facilitated the understanding of PILs, clarified few myths and realities and highlighted some of the successes PILs have brought to communities. A national level conference on “Access to Justice” was jointly organized with 18 organizations in Dhaka. Honourable Justices of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, lawyers, environmental activists, civil society members, media people and affected community people attended the program. This program identified the strengths to file PILs in defending community rights and also the gaps and obstacles that hinder the implementation of judgements received in PILs. A consultative meeting on “Save the Boral River: Implementation of Court Order and Present Situation” was held in Chatmohor, Pabna. The affected community people, researchers, lawyers, environmental activists, civil society members, concerned governmental officials from LGED, Department of Agriculture, Department of Fisheries, Water Development Board, media people participated in the event. - BELA has successfully completed two training programs. Training for cross-sectoral actors: BELA organized a 5-day long BELA Training Program for cross sector people (government official, NGO activities, lawyers, students) on “Environment & Climate Change: the Legal Issues” (Participants- 19: Female-2, Male- 17). Training for Judicial Officers: a day-long training Workshop on “Environment, Environmental Law and Justice” participated by 44 (Female- 16, male- 28) Assistant Judges in collaboration with Judicial Administration Training Institute.

The main objectives of the intervention were the following: 1) Development of program proposal and organizational manuals 2) To give legal assistance to people affected by environmental anarchise and injustices 3) To strengthen support base at the community level by supporting the community struggles 4) To hold public events for awareness raising and developing action agenda