08/01/2026
🫗 Safe Water: A Constitutional Mandate and Fundamental Right for All
Bangladesh’s 𝙃𝙞𝙜𝙝 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙩 𝘿𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 has recognised access to safe drinking water as a constitutional right, directing the government to protect water sources and ensure a free, safe supply nationwide within the next decade.
In a transformative 16-page verdict, the 𝙃𝙞𝙜𝙝 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙩 𝘿𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh has formally recognized access to safe, free drinking water as a Fundamental Right under Article 32 of the Constitution. By interpreting the "Right to Life" to include the right to potable water, the judiciary has set a historic precedent for public health and human dignity.
The landmark verdict was delivered on 27 February 2025 by a High Court bench comprising Justice Md. Ashraful Kamal and Justice Kazi Waliul Islam. The full 16-page judgment has recently been made public.
The ruling originated from a suo motu rule issued by the High Court in 2020, which sought clarification on whether ensuring safe and usable drinking water for all citizens falls within the constitutional responsibility of the state and whether access to such water can be recognised as a fundamental right.
This verdict incorporates previous landmark rulings like the Turag River Case (2019), where rivers were declared "Living Entities" or Legal Persons.
- The Road to Implementation
The Court’s timeline is clear and mandatory:
*Within 1 Year: Guaranteed safe water in all public hubs—railway stations, hospitals, and educational institutions.
*Within 10 Years: Universal, nationwide access to safe drinking water.
This is a Victory for the Marginalized.
We believe this ruling is a powerful catalyst for social justice and gender equity. Water insecurity is not gender-neutral; it disproportionately burdens women and children with health risks and unpaid labor. Ensuring water access is, therefore, a direct step toward national empowerment.
-Our Call to Action
To transform this legal milestone into a lived reality, we urge the relevant state authorities to execute the following:
💧 Immediate Compliance: Launch transparent, fast-tracked projects to meet the one-year deadline for public spaces.
💧 Strategic Prioritization: Direct immediate infrastructure funding to the saline coastal regions and water-scarce highlands.
💧 Ecological Protection: Enforce the Public Trust Doctrine by taking strict legal action against industrial pollution and illegal encroachment of water bodies.
💧 Inclusive Governance: Establish monitoring committees that include civil society and local community leaders to ensure accountability.
The Eternal Justice Society stands in full solidarity with this ruling. For too long, the "Right to Life" has been a hollow promise for those in saline-heavy coastal belts, drought-stricken northern districts, and remote hill tracts. This verdict finally provides a legal shield for the most vulnerable, ensuring that geography no longer dictates survival.
