The government must take effective steps to save the country’s rivers from grabbing and polluting for the sake of the environment and people’s livelihood, said speakers at a national convention on saving the rivers today. It is the government’s prime duty to save the rivers by taking legal actions against the grabbers and polluters, they added. The discussants also laid emphasis on including the people in a massive awareness campaign for saving the rivers. They made these remarks at National River Convention-2016 organised by Bangladesh Nodi Bachao Andolan (Save the River Movement, Bangladesh); a green group which brought their representatives from 45 districts at Supreme Court Bar Association in the city. Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique inaugurated the programme this morning. It is really beyond our thinking that people have to call for a movement to save a country’s rivers. Now, the influential are grabbing our rivers by constructing industrial buildings and housing illegally. This is clearly a crime, he observed. The DU VC also lamented for the gradual grabbing of the rivers surrounding Dhaka city. Addressing as the chief guest, noted urban researcher and former chairman of University Grants Commission Prof Prof Nazrul Islam said the government, the politicians and the concerned citizens must work together to save the rivers. The noted environmentalist also added that around five crore people from the country’s southern region might face acute challenge to adapt their living and livelihood due to the negative impacts of the climate change after 25 or 30 years later. Bangladesh Nodi Bachao Andolan President Anwar Sadat chaired while its general secretary Advocate Anwar Hossain, some central leaders and representatives from different districts also spoke.
2016 / thedailystar.net