Dhaka: The High Court on Thursday stayed the government’s decision to cut down century-old trees on both sides of the Benapole-Jessore Highway.

A bench of Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury and Justice Iqbal Kabir Liton passed the order in the morning after hearing a writ petition.

On behalf of Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), lawyer Manzill Murshid filed the writ petition seeking replies from the secretary of Road and Highway Division, Deputy Director of the Department of Environment, Deputy Commissioner of Khulna and Police Superintendent of Jessore.

According to section 18 (A) of the Constitution, the writ said, the government will preserve and enhance the nature both for the present and future generations as trees help secure the ecological balance. So, the decision to cut down age-old trees goes against the Constitution.

On March 21 last year, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved a project for widening the Benapole-Jessore Highway while the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) in Jessore has decided to cut down around 2,700 trees for this purpose.