In February 2019, the High Court Division (HCD) of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh delivered a landmark decision granting all rivers with 'legal personhood,' declaring all rivers in Bangladesh to have legal protection. The core outcome of the verdict are 17 major directives for addressing river pollution and illegal riverbank development ('encroachment'). This includes barring polluters from running for office, legally empowering the National River Conservation Commission as the 'guardian' of all rivers, and excluding designated polluters from accessing bank loans. University of Oxford with the support of UK Research and Innovation Strategic Priorities Fund has undertaken a project for bi-lingual translation (English-Bangla) of the HCD verdict which was approved by Justice Ashraful Kamal of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh last month.
Source: The Daily Star, 20 November, 2020 https://www.thedailystar.net/law-our-rights/news/protecting-rights-rivers-turning-intention-action-1998201