Conduct study on health effects from mobile tower radiation: HC

FE REPORT

The High Court (HC) on Wednesday ordered Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to commission a fresh study by Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) to assess the possible health and environmental effects of radiation emitted from mobile phone towers.

The court directed the telecom regulator to submit the study report within six months.

The order was passed by a High Court bench comprising Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Aziz Ahmed Bhuiyan following a hearing on a writ petition filed by rights organisation Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB).

The writ was filed in 2019, seeking directives over concerns raised in media reports about the potential harmful effects of radiation from mobile towers on humans, animals, birds, and plants.

On April 25, 2019, the HC instructed the BTRC to review radiation levels and formulate guidelines, restricting the installation of mobile towers in densely populated public spaces, including schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, and court premises.

During the hearing, BUET Professor Kamrul Hasan presented his observations before the court and submitted a written report on April 30, 2024.

In his report, he recommended lowering radiation exposure levels from mobile towers and conducting a comprehensive Bangladesh-based study to determine the extent of possible damage caused by such radiation.

bdsmile@gmail.com