The High Court yesterday issued an injunction against Al Mostafa Group in Narayanganj and its affiliate firms to restrain them from filling up Marikhali canal in Sonargaon upazila of Narayanganj.

In response to a writ petition, the HC also asked the firms to restore the canal to its previous state within the next six months.

The officer-in-change (OC) of Sonargaon Police Station was directed to monitor whether Al Mostafa Group and its other firms -- Heritage Polymer, Lami Tubes Ltd and Euro Marine Ship Builder and Dockyard Ltd -- comply with the HC directive and to submit a report to the same court in three months.

The HC also issued a rule asking the respondents to explain in three months why earth filling of Marikhali canal should not be declared illegal, writ petitioner's lawyer Advocate Sayeed Ahmed Kabir told The Daily Star.

The respondents include the secretaries to the ministries of land, forest and environment and agriculture; directors general of Department of Environment and Bangladesh Water Development Board; chairman of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority; deputy commissioner and superintendent of police of Narayanganj; upazila nirbahi officer and assistant commissioner of land of Sonargaon; OC of Sonargaon Police Station; managing directors of Al Mostafa Group, Heritage Polymer, Lami Tubes Ltd, and Euro Marine Ship Builder and Dockyard Ltd.

The HC bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal passed the order and rule following a writ petition filed by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers' Association (Bela), challenging the legality of earth filling on Marikhali canal for construction purposes.

On February 7, Bela submitted the writ petition on public interest litigation, saying that the private firms are violating the law as their earth filling on the canal is causing damage to the environment. Advocate AM Aminuddin appeared for the writ petitioner.