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Human Chains in Mymensingh, Barisal

Bring river grabbers to book, stop pollution

3 June 2009, 18:00 PM

NATIONAL

Star National Desk

People and members of different bodies in Barisal join a human chain in the city yesterday demanding steps to save Kirtonkhola River from encroachment and pollution. Photo: STAR

Environmentalists, journalists, non-governmental organisations, students and people from different professional bodies yesterday joined human chains in Mymensingh and Barisal demanding immediate measures to stop grabbing and pollution of Brahmaputra and Kirtonkhola rivers. In Mymensingh, local unit of the Institute for Environ-ment and Development (IED) organised a human chain programme at Shaheed Firoz-Jahangir Square at the district headquarters in the afternoon demanding immediate actions of the authorities concerned to save the Brahmaputra from the clutches of the grabbers and mindless polluters, according to our correspondent. A rally was also held at the venue. Mymensingh Reporters' Unity President Sultan Uddin Khan, Advocate Nazrul Islam Chunnu of Nagorik Andolan, Khandaker Faruq Ahmed of ADAB, Advocate Emdadul Haque Millat, Monira Sultana of IED, and Ferdous Ara Mahmuda Helen of Mahila Parishad addressed the rally among others. The speakers urged the government to launch an eviction drive against illegal structures on the Brahma-putra and bring the grabbers to book. They also demanded removal of earth illegally dumped in the river by the encroachers. The country has already lost many of its rivers and if this trend continues for the years ahead, Bangladesh will lose its geographical identity, they cautioned. They also urged the people to unite against the grabbers and polluters of rivers. Our Barisal correspondent reported that local unit of the Institute for Environment and Development (IED), Caritas and Barisal Social Advance-ment Society (BSAS) organised a human chain programme in front of Aswani Kumar Hall in the city yesterday demanding steps to stop encroachment on the Kirton-khola and keep the river free from pollution. Addressing a rally at the venue, the speakers alleged that the Kirtonkhola, which was more than two kilometre in witdh 30 years ago, has now been reduced to a half kilometre at many points due to encroachments. Besides, wastes from cement factories, pharmaceutical industries, and ship building dockyards are polluting the river everyday, they said. They sought immediate actions of the authorities concerned to stop encroachment on the river and make it pollution-free. Child organiser Jibon Krishna Dey, environmentalists Bandana Nath and Khorshed Alam addressed the rally among others.