High Court directs 6-month suspension on land allocation to BEZA at Sonadia Island

The High Court has directed a six-month suspension of the agreement for allocating 9,467 acres of land to the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) for the development of an eco-tourism park on Sonadia Island in Maheshkhali, Cox's Bazar.

The court also halted all associated development activities, citing concerns about potential environmental damage.

A High Court bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debashish Roy Chowdhury passed the order on Tuesday.

The court has instructed the Environment Secretary, Chief Conservator of Forests, and the Director General of the Department of Environment (DoE) to submit a report assessing the environmental impact of the proposed park, including any damage caused by deforestation and other harmful activities on the allocated land.

The court’s ruling also included a directive to officials to explain why the allocation of 9,467 acres of land to BEZA for the eco-tourism park should not be canceled altogether.

Relevant authorities, including the Environment Secretary, BEZA, and the Deputy Commissioner of Cox’s Bazar, have been ordered to respond to the court’s inquiry.

The Sonadia Eco-Tourism Park, which spans the mouzas of Sonadia, Bijoy Ekattor, and Samudra Bilash in Maheshkhali Upazila, was allocated by the district administration to BEZA in 2017 at a nominal fee of Tk1,001.

The park was part of a larger initiative by BEZA, started in 2016, to develop tourism parks across 11,000 acres in Teknaf and Maheshkhali.

Other parks in the plan include the Sabrang Tourism Park (967 acres) and Naf Tourism Park (271 acres).

However, the conditions tied to the allocation stipulated that activities detrimental to the island’s environment, as per the Environment Conservation Act of 1995, would be prohibited. Despite these regulations, BEZA proceeded with the development, which has now faced legal scrutiny.

The Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela) challenged BEZA’s activities in the High Court with a writ petition filed on October 28, 2023.

Bela’s lawyer, Advocate S Hasanul Banna, argued that the island is an ecologically sensitive area, and the tourism park's construction would pose a threat to its environment.

He pointed out instances of deforestation in the region, leading to the legal action.

The state was represented by Assistant Attorney General Mujahidul Islam Shaheen during the hearing.

Following the court's decision, Bela’s lawyer expressed satisfaction with the ruling, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding Sonadia Island's unique ecology.