The government has taken steps to remove laminated posters and banners in compliance with a High Court directive delivered in 2020.

The respondents concerned said this in an affidavit-in-compliance, which was submitted before the HC as per its order.

This issue of implementation was informed to The Daily Star recently through a notification issued from the court, as the directive had come following a report published in this newspaper.

The HC on January 21, 2020 issued the directive following the report published in The Daily Star on January 22, 2020 under a headline "Laminated posters in city polls: A big threat to environment".

In the order, the HC bench had asked the authorities concerned of the government and Election Commission to immediately stop the production and display of laminated election posters in order to save the environment.

The court also ordered them to properly dispose the laminated posters which have already been produced and displayed in Dhaka, ahead of the city corporation elections.

The HC also issued a rule asking the respondents to explain why they should not be directed to stop production and display of laminated posters across the country.

Environment and forest ministry secretary, LGRD secretary, health secretary, Election Commission and the chief executive officers of Dhaka north and south city corporations had been made respondents to the rule.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim (now a judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court) and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman came up with the order and rule on a suo moto (voluntary) move following The Daily Star report.

Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Manoj Kumar Bhowmick placed the news report before the HC bench for necessary order.

The latter told the court that laminated posters are harmful for the environment and public health. Therefore, the production and display of such posters need to be stopped immediately.

The HC disposed of the rule on January 6, 2021 after accepting the affidavit in compliance from the respondents.