Water tariff hike: HC to deliver order on writ petition on June 22

The High Court has fixed June 22 for delivering its order on a writ petition filed challenging the decision of Dhaka Wasa to hike the price of water by 25 percent from April 1 this year.

The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim set the date after holding a virtual hearing on the petition through video conferencing today.

The court said it will hear arguments from Attorney General Mahbubey Alam on the same petition before passing the directive on that day.

During the hearing today, the attorney general told the court that he will place more arguments on the petition as the matter is very important and has challenged the law under which the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) hiked the water tariff.

Writ petitioner Advocate Tanvir Ahmed filed the petition as a public interest litigation with the High Court on Monday seeking its order of injunction on the decision taken by Dhaka Wasa.

In the petition, the lawyer prayed to the court to declare Dhaka Wasa's decision illegal as it had increased the water tariff by 5 percent on September 1 last year.

It has further increased the water price by 25 percent since April 1 this year, which was reported in different newspapers including The Daily Star, he said in the petition.

The advocate said most of the countrymen are now facing serious financial crisis and amid this situation, hiking the water tariff is not only illegal but also a heartless act.

Wasa can increase the water tariff by only 5 percent in consultation with the government as per section 22 (3) of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority Act, 1996, the writ petitioner said in the petition.