The Bangladesh present government plans to clean up at least one river in every district of the country
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Advisor on Environment, Forests, Climate Change, and Water Resources, Bangladesh, visited the Baral River source in Charghat of Rajshahi, yesterday, May 19, 2025.
Advisor Syeda Rizwana Hasan was welcomed by members of the Bangladesh Environment Movement and Baral Raksha Andolan when she arrived in Charghat of Rajshahi,I around 10 am yesterday.
After the inspection, she told reporters that the government plans to clean at least one river in each Districts of Bangladesh. from pollution and encroachment.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan noted that the rivers of the country have been damaged over the past 54 years in the name of implementation projects, infrastructure, encroachment, and pollution, all without proper environmental assessments. She emphasized that the current government has only one and a half years left to address these issues, but a solution plan is in progress.
Rizwana Hasan mentioned that one river has been chosen from each district of the country. The plan focuses on Cox’s Bazar and four rivers near Dhaka, and efforts to allocate budget for it in the 2025-26 financial year have begun.
During her visit to the Baral River’s source and sluice gate, Rizwana Hasan told the Baral Raksha Andolon Committee leaders and local BWDB engineers that the sluice gate is no longer necessary. Arrangements will be made to remove it as soon as the interim government is in charge.’
Syeda Rizwana Hasan emphasized the need for joint efforts from all stakeholders to protect the country’s rivers, including the Baral. To save the Baral River, river dredging and the sluice gate of Charghat will be removed. There is no need for sluice gates in the current context of the river.
The Bangladesh Water Development Board must listen to the people. Since the projects are being implemented with the people’s money, the project must be implemented in the way the people and the beneficiaries want.
The advisor stated that the Farakka Agreement remains valid for another year and a half. According to that agreement, the technical committees of the two countries are constantly collecting field-level information and data. The Ganges water is our rightful share, so we will proceed with the agreement promptly based on the collected information and data.
