Legal notice to protect Sonadia Island, a declared ECA in Bangladesh

The Sonadia Island is a small island in Bangladesh, located near Cox’s Bazar Beach, on the northeast side opposite the Moheshkali Channel.

To protect the island from illegal encroachment aimed at a shrimp project, the Bangladesh Government declared it an Ecologically Critical Area (ECA) in 1995. But the illegal encroachment of this island hasn’t stopped till now.

A legal notice has been sent to stop deforestation and establishment of illegal shrimp projects in Sonadia Island. This notice has been sent to 12 people, including Secretary of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA),various departments of Bangladesh Government related to Environment and Forest, Deputy Commissioner of Cox’s Bazar and Superintendent of Police.

Lawyer on September 8, Rahim Ullah, member of Moheshkhali Upazila Press Club and journalist M Aziz Sikdar, Supreme Court lawyer Mohammad Saddam Hussain sent the notice on behalf of Yunus and Sirajul Mostafa Rubel.

The notice states that Sonadia Island, located in Maheshkhali Upazila of Cox’s Bazar district, has a rich mangrove forest.

Recently, the island and nearby areas like Ghativhanga, Tajiakata, and Hamidardiya have seen the destruction of mangrove forests for illegal shrimp farms.

But no visible action is being observed from the administration. The urgent notice asked the defendants to quickly stop the destruction of mangrove forests and the removal of illegal shrimp enclosures on Sonadia Island.

Otherwise, a writ will be filed in the court seeking reparation, the notice also mentioned.