Speakers at a discussion in Dhaka on Thursday called upon the authorities concerned to reclaim the river lands and disclose the name of encroachers in a bid to protect the water bodies as the rivers were living entities.
鈥楢 river is a living entity. It cannot be strangled to death. River lands are never private. River lands must be returned to the rivers. The list of encroachers must be published within the next 1 month,鈥� said former chairman of the National River Conservation Commission Muzibur Rahman Howlader.
On the eve of the International Day of Action for Rivers to be celebrated on March 14, the Dharitri Rakshay Amra organised the discussion titled The Present and Future of Bangladesh鈥檚 Rivers at the National Press Club in the capital, said a press release.
Howlader said that destroying rivers was a criminal offense.
After the July-August uprising, the occupation of river lands is still going on at an irresistible pace. 鈥楾he river, water, and environment must be protected. It is the responsibility of every citizen to protect the rivers,鈥� he said.
The NRC commission鈥檚 former chairman stressed the need for intensive research over the country鈥檚 rivers and following the directives of the High Court to save the rivers.
Addressing the discussion as chief guest, Professor Anu Muhammad said that without the rivers, Bangladesh would not exist.
He called upon for a national consensus and ratification of the United Nations Watercourses Convention of 1997 to save the rivers.
鈥楢ll the government鈥檚 decisions and projects that destroy the rivers must be cancelled and the encroachers must be evicted as per the recommendations made by the river commission,鈥� Anu Muhammad said, adding that Delta Plan 2100 must be reviewed.
DHORA member secretary Sharif Jamil said that a strong and effective river commission and river commission law should be formulated and implemented as per the court鈥檚 directives.
President of Bangladesh Institute of Planners Adil Mohammad Khan said that the river commission should be more active to ensure the full share of the water of the common rivers.
鈥榃hy did the eviction drive of 66,000 encroachers suddenly stop? Many politicians and influential persons were involved in the grabbing of river lands,鈥� he said.
Adil Mohammad said that the situation had not changed even after the July mass uprising as the polluters were involved in killing the living entities, rivers.
Dhaka University鈥檚 associate professor and writer Moshahida Sultana said that local people should be involved in any decision-making related to the rivers.
鈥業ndustries have been built on the banks of the rivers only due to profit maximisation,鈥� she said.
DHORA鈥檚 co-convener SM Siddique while chairing the discussion said that industrial factories wewre built on the banks of the rivers and river lands are leased to construct jetties for the factories, which created a great problem.
