The River commission, Bangladesh, demanded a separate Ministry to Protect the Rivers

Mr. A S M Ali Kabir, the Chairman of the National River Conservation Commission, Bangladesh, has demanded the formation of a separate ministry to protect the country’s rivers and aquatic environment.

He expressed his demands while speaking as the chief guest at a discussion meeting titled ‘Celebrating World Rivers Day-2021 and Taking Effective Steps to Protect Rivers’ at Tafazzal Hossain Manik Mia Hall of the National Press Club. Bangladesh Nadi Bachao Andolan (Save the Rivers movement, Bangladesh) organized the discussion meeting.

ASM Ali Kabir asked if there could be a Ministry of Shipping and a Ministry of Water Resources. Then why not the Ministry of Rivers and reservoirs? I think there needs to be a ministry of river affairs. It is time to strengthen the river commission.

The commission needs to increase the structure of the workforce. At the same time, it is necessary to increase the legal framework. The river commission should turn into a constitutional body. The river commission should be like the election commission.

He added that Dhaka is the most polluted city in the world. Living in Dhaka is now a miracle of Allah Ta’ala. God forbid if we cannot decontaminate the rivers around Dhaka and if the rivers die and if the forest near Dhaka also dies, then every house and family in Dhaka will get a disease.

There is no cure for that disease, and it is cancer. Cancer is an old disease yet deadly disease. It is the worst kind of cancer in the geographical body of Bangladesh. For this, we have to protect the river around Dhaka and the forest near Dhaka.

Advocate Anwar Hossain (General secretary) and Kamrun Nahar Ahmed (member), and other commission members spoke at the conference under the Chair of Md. Anwar, President of Bangladesh River Save Movement President at the meeting