State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury on Friday called upon all irrespective of political affiliation to make united efforts to save rivers, reports BSS.
“Civilizations developed along rivers banks. To keep civilization, we have to take united efforts to save rivers,” he told a floating meeting on a BIWTA ship on the Buriganga river here. Nongor, a social organisation for river safety, arranged the meeting. Khalid, also Awami League organising secretary, said the government is very sincere to save rivers so that different steps have been taken to free rivers from illegal occupation and pollution.
The people have welcomed the government steps taken for saving rivers, he said. Khalid said after the assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, conspiracies had been hatched to destroy the rivers to turn Bangladesh into a failed state. During their regimes, Ziaur Rahman and HM Ershad did not give any attention to rivers, he added.
“Zia and Ershad hatched conspiracy to destroy rivers as like as they spoiled the young generation by giving them arms and money,” the state minister said. Awami League (AL) Information and Research Secretary Advocate Afjal Hossain, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Chairman Commodore M Mahbub-ul Islam, Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Manzil Morshed, Barrister Farzana Ahmed, AL leader Ashraful Islam Maruf, environment expert Ezaz Ahmed and Nongor President Sumon Shams, among others, addressed the function.