Biodiversity and the Environment are being ruined in Bangladesh due to Government officials’ Negligence and disinterestedness in the case of river pollution as well as illegal river occupation
By Adnan Mahfuz
With Negligence, disinterestedness, and unwillingness to take the government’s officials’ risk, Bangladesh’s rivers are polluting and losing the navigability. Mr. Mujibur Rahman Hawlader, chairman of the National River Conservation Commission of Bangladesh, said biodiversity and the environment are destroying.
He said this while inspecting the Dhaleshwari River flowing through the border areas of Dhaka and Manikganj on December 01, 2020.
He further said, “In the process of the river’s illegal occupation, first the riverbank area is occupied and filled with sand and soil, then shortened the river width by building a structure in there. Through this practice, rivers and canals across the country are being occupied, which must stop.
Mr.Mujibur Rahman Hawlader said, “There are laws to protect the river, but there is no enforcement of the law. The punishment for river possession mentioned in the criminal law should be further increased by law.
The same has been ordered from the high court of Bangladesh. The law has been drafted by the River Conservation Commission where all of these is recommended.”
He said, “River land is unchangeable, which cannot be leased or transferred. Even then, about 200 acres of land was leased from the district administration for cultivation in the river’s foreshore area.
The factory owners and influential people are taking those lands from the leaseholders and building factories and establishments.
Mr. Mujibur Rahman Hawladar visited the Tentuljhora area of Savar and the Dhalla area of the Singair of the Dhaleshwari River.
District and Upazila administration officials, including Syed Abul Maqsood, Vice-president and writer of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan (Bangladesh Environment Movement), were present during his visit to sites.
Syed Abul Maqsood said Rivers and women are most endangered today in Bangladesh. Through the abuse of power, politically influential people occupied the river in collaboration with the administration.
It is not possible to evict illegal establishments with administration alone. Evicting illegal occupants requires political will.
