All ministries of Bangladesh, must be involved in protecting rivers
Speakers at the meeting titled “Rivers, Haors, Forests, Agricultural Lands, and Hills: Protecting the Environment” discussed ways to safeguard these natural resources.
The interim government of Bangladesh’s success in stopping the encroachment and pollution of rivers is not as expected. However, the interim government is undoubtedly ahead in protecting rivers compared to previous governments. It is essential for all ministries to engage actively in the protection of our rivers. It will not be possible to protect rivers with one ministry.
Speakers discussed environmental protection at the discussion meeting oganized by the Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD) at CIRDAP in the capital last Sunday.
Writer and researcher Pavel Partha noted that a divisive binary has formed between environment and development. However, the spirit of July is to stand against this binary. Development can never happen by ignoring nature. Development is what protects nature and the environment.
Pavel Partha stated that Bangladesh is part of the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot, highlighting its significant biodiversity. Therefore, commercial establishments should be banned within 14 kilometers of all forests.
Pavel Partha also said, “To save our rivers, every ministry must be involved.” Rivers will not be protected by just one ministry. In addition, inter-ministerial coordination must be strengthened.
Pavel Partha highlighted the importance of implementing a Forest Rights Act to safeguard the rights of forest-dependent communities and to incorporate the traditional knowledge of hill communities into state environmental conservation policies for protecting forests and mountains.
Taslima Islam, CEO of the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), emphasized the importance of political goodwill in protecting the environment, especially rivers. Our position in the global index for law compliance is 127th out of 142 countries.
And in the environmental protection index, we are 19th out of 180 countries.” She expressed concern that, due to ongoing encroachment and pollution, Bangladesh may not exist in these indicators in the future. The problem with rivers in Bangladesh is encroachment, pollution, sand and stone extraction. Rivers have not been defined as rivers in any law of the country.
Taslima Islam noted that 15 laws in the country focus on rivers, which are represented as water bodies. In addition, there are court orders. She expressed the hope that these laws and court orders will be implemented.
Sufia Khanam, a Senior Research Fellow at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, stated that 8 out of the 10 most polluted rivers globally are in Asia. As a downstream country, plastic pollution is accumulating in the rivers of this country. Bangladesh can raise concerns about this through regional dialogue.
ufia Khanam emphasized the need to regulate ships transporting ‘fly ash’ from Indian power plants through the Sundarbans. She said that so far 224.4 million tons of fly ash have arrived in Bangladesh from India. There are regular accidents in the Sundarbans while transporting them. She called for imposing controls on the movement of these ships through the Sundarbans.
The meeting was chaired by Khushi Kabir, coordinator of the non-governmental organization ‘Nijera Kari’. She stated that unplanned development has severely harmed nature and threatened people’s livelihoods. She called on everyone to come forward unitedly to implement existing laws and policies.
Representatives from various NGOs across the country attended the meeting and discussed the status of rivers, forests, haors, and water bodies in their districts. The meeting was chaired by ALRD Executive Director Shamsul Huda.
Curtesy: Prothom Alo.
