The High Court has instructed the Election Commission to bar people who encroach on rivers to from contesting election to public offices.

It also ordered Bangladesh Bank to make sure such people cannot get a bank loan.
The bench of Justice Md Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal issued the orders on Sunday (Feb 3) while delivering its judgment on a petition over the conservation of the Turag River.
It has also ordered a copy of the verdict to be sent to the prime minister to allow her to take necessary measures against the illegal encroachers.
The court declared Turag River as “legal and juristic person” and a living entity in an effort to conserve rivers, streams and other water bodies, which would apply to all rivers in the country.
It asked authorities concerned to remove all structures from it in the next 30 days.
The court has also announced the formation of a national river conservation commission to serve as their ‘legal guardians’.
The government has been ordered to amend the National River Protection Commission Act 2013 for making the National River Protection Commission effective and independent and submit a report after complying with the order before this court in six months.
The High Court ordered the commission to take necessary development measures and protection for all the rivers of the country.
The education ministry has been told to take steps so that an hour-long class is taken each a week in two months at all government and private academic institutions including schools, college, universities and madrasahs each a week in two months for building awareness over the rivers.
The court asked the industries ministry to take a step so that meetings are held for one hour a day in two months each for building consciousness for protecting the river among factory workers across the country.
The government has been ordered to prepare a digital database to determine the location of all water bodies in the country and make it accessible to every citizen in the country.
The court has given those individuals and organisations named in the list of ‘illegal encroachers of the Turag River’ and made a party in the case 30 days to remove their illegal structures.
The government will conduct evictions of the illegal structures, with the defendants paying the cost, if they fail to remove them within the deadline, the court order said.