BLAST has undertaken an investigation, advocacy, and litigation to protect citizens’ rights to enjoy a safe and healthy environment.

In one case, BLAST and the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) brought to the attention of the High Court the suffering of people in several Upazila in Jessore due to long-standing water logging resulting from the implementation of the faulty Khulna Jessore Drainage Rehabilitation Project. Pending the hearing, the High Court issued a rule instructing the Government to ensure that the people in the affected upazilas were safely located and received food, water, medicine, and other essentials.

BLAST has also filed litigation and undertaken advocacy regarding the planned building. BLAST has challenged the construction of high-rise buildings, both residential and commercial, without due facilities, making the environment of Dhaka more hazardous and exposing the inhabitants to environmental degradation. On 30 June 2010, BLAST organized a discussion titled ‘Bangladesh National Building Code: Implementation and Way Forward’ at the National Press Club, at which Government civil servants and civil society spoke about the need to implement Dhaka’s Detailed Area Plan (DAP) for safe development. 

Also, see “Worker’s Rights” for more information about BLAST’s efforts to ensure that workplaces are safe for all workers.