River grabbers being listed

National River Commission (NRC) Chairman Atharul Islam has said a list of river grabbers is being prepared to bring them to book.

“Our river route was 24,000 km long during the Liberation War. The length of the route has already been reduced by 18,000 km to around 6,000 km. We will never allow anyone to reduce the length anymore,” he said.

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The NRC chief was addressing a discussion styled “Rangpur Division: International Rivers and Life” at a hotel in Rangpur on Friday afternoon.

Manabadhikar and Poribesh Andolon Bangladesh, Riverine People, Solidarity, International Rivers and Blue Planet Initiative jointly organised the discussion, said a press release issued by Riverine People.

Harun-ar-Rashid, executive director of Solidarity, delivered the keynote speech, describing the present situation of the common international rivers flowing through Bangladesh.

Sheikh Rokan, secretary general of Riverine People, said people would have to work together to save rivers to ensure their uninterrupted flow and navigability round the year.

Speakers at the programme stressed the need for ensuring better management and protection of rivers to keep them alive to save the environment, ecology, heritage and culture.

Tuhin Wadud, director of Riverine People, presided over the discussion, moderated by its Convener Umar Farooque.

Environmental and human rights activists, river researchers, academicians, government officials, NGO executives and civil society remembers joined the programme.

River researchers Mahbub Siddique, Shah Alam and Mofizul Islam Mantu also spoke, among others.