National River Protection Commission Chairman Md Sarwar Mahmud on Friday urged the public representatives to express their commitments to save the rivers from the illegal occupants across the country.
“It’s not possible to save the rivers only enacting or implementing the laws. We must have to go to prevention. To ensure it, we have to do our works from our own levels. You know that the local government election is ongoing in the country. We have to take commitment from the newly elected representatives that they will not protect the illegal grabbers from the administration,” he said while addressing a discussion meeting at Ideal Commerce College auditorium in Farmgate’s Dhaka.
Bangladesh Nodi Rokkha Andolon (Save the River Movement Bangladesh) organised the discussion meeting titled ‘Importance of River Protection to Prevent Warmness of Climate’ marking the biennial general meeting of the organisation.
Organisation’s President Prof Anwar Sadat presided over the meeting while its General Secretary Anwar Hossain moderated. Its Vice President Dr. Lutfor Rahman, former Director General of the River Research Institute (RRI), presented the keynote.
Among other, Vice Presidents valiant freedom fighter SM Shafiqul Islam Kanu, Mihir Bishwas, Dr. Mohsin Ali Mondal Prince, Khandaker Aminul Haque Tutul and Ikram Elahi Khan Saz, Joint Secretaries Dr. Burhan Uddin Aronno and Monir Munna, Organising Secretary Kalimullah Iqbal, Finance Secretary Dr. Anwar Hossain, Dhaka City unit President Mohosinul Karim Lebu, leaders Bashir Uddin, Rahidul Alam, Mia Hossain Rana and Abdul Malek also spoke the event.
Speakers demanded immediate steps to prevent the illegal grabbers, save the rivers and ensure navigability of the river by dredging all the rivers across the country, most of the rivers are now in vulnerable situation.
They said that the rivers a live resources, according to the court judgment. “In our country, a criminal is punished for killing or hurting a human being. But, no actions are taken for killing or grabbing a river. It should be resisted and the illegal river grabbers must be punished.”
Responding to the demands of river rights activists, Commission Chairman Sarwar Mahmud said that the government is sincere to protect the river bringing lives in it by capital dredging. “But, only government initiatives are not enough to save those, we must have work together to save the rivers.”
“The new generations have to be involved with this process, so that they can be interested on the matters. You must have to remember that the independence of the country hadn’t come only by the war of a section of people. People from all corners including the youths had joined the war and the youth community played the vital role in this regards,” he stated.
Emphasising on creating awareness among the people to save those from illegal grabbing and contamination, Sarwar Mahmud said those must be stopped.
