Dhaka, 18 Jan, Abnews: The High Court has stayed the decision to cut down century-old trees on both sides of Jessore-Benapole Highway for six months.
The bench of Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir came up with the order following a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh.
The court aslo issued a rule asking the government to explain why the decision to chop down the trees should not be declared illegal.
The move to fell the trees was taken to expand the 38-kilometre road from Doratana in Jessore town to Benapole land port.
On March 21 last year, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved a project for widening Benapole-Jessore Highway while the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) in Jessore has decided to cut down around 2,700 trees for this purpose.
Such a decision to cut down the trees was also taken earlier, but in the face of protest the authorities had then decided to expand the road keeping status quo about the trees.
ABN/Adrian/Jasim/AD