The High Court yesterday declared Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority's (BIWTA) collective bargaining agent illegal.

The court also directed the department of labour to scrap registration of the body -- BIWTA Sramik Karmachari Union -- in 30 days.

Delivering the verdict on a writ petition, the court observed that more than three trade unions cannot get registration for a state agency, as per the labour law.

The department of labour had registered four trade unions for BIWTA before it gave registration to BIWTA Sramik Karmachari Union, which a violation of the labour law, the court said.

The HC bench of Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore and Justice Mohammad Ullah delivered the verdict after hearing the writ petition challenging the legality of the trade union.

Md Mujibor Rahman, general secretary of BIWTA Employees' Union, filed the petition in 2016 saying

that the department of labour has illegally given registration to it.

Petitioner's lawyer Advocate Mantu Ghosh told reporters that all activities done by BIWTA Sramik Karmachari Union will be considered illegal following the HC judgement.

Barrister Shafique Ahmed and Barrister Mahbub Shafique appeared for BIWTA Sramik Karmachari Union.