The High Court today issued a contempt of court rule against three officials of Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) including its Chairman Rear Admiral SM Moniruzzaman, for initiating a process to give lease of Karnaphuli river land without complying with its order for preserving the land.

Other two officials, against whom the rule was issued, are CPA's Additional Secretary (administration and planning) Mohammad Habibur Rahman and its Deputy Manager (state) Md Shihab Uddin.

In the rule the HC asked the officials to explain in four weeks why contempt of court proceedings should not be drawn against them for violating its directive over preserving the land of the river.

At the same time, the HC stayed for three months the effectiveness of the notice issued by the CPA officials through a newspaper on November 7 for leasing land of Karnaphuli river at Firingibazar area for 10 years.

The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debasish Roy Chowdhury issued the rule and order following a contempt of court petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB).

HRPB's lawyer Manzill Murshid told The Daily Star that the HC in a verdict in 2016 has ordered authorities concerned including the CPA officials to preserve land of Karnaphuli River through conducting a boundary survey.

The CPA officials have initiated the process for giving lease of the land of the river in violation of the HC directive, which is contempt of court, the lawyer said.

Deputy Attorney General Md Tanim Khan represented the state during the hearing.