HC declares safe food, drinkable water as fundamental right

The High Court (HC) of Bangladesh declared on Thursday that safe food and drinkable water are fundamental rights for every citizen. This landmark decision was made by a bench comprising Justice Md Ashraful Kamal and Justice Kazi Waliul Islam following the final hearing on an earlier issued rule.

In its verdict, the HC bench directed the government to preserve all water sources in Bangladesh, ensuring that they do not deteriorate, dry up, become unsafe, or polluted. The court observed that, according to Article 32 of the Constitution of Bangladesh, access to safe and pure drinking water is a fundamental right of every citizen and it is the state's responsibility to ensure this right.

The HC provided several instructions to ensure the supply of safe drinking water for all citizens. It mandated that the government must provide safe water in all important public places-including courts, places of worship, hospitals, railway stations, haats, airports, and other public spaces-within the next year. Additionally, it instructed the government to ensure safe and drinkable water at an affordable price for every citizen within the next ten years.

The government has been ordered to submit a report to the court detailing the measures taken to provide free safe water at all public places by 2026. The court has kept the case ongoing as a mandamus.