Barisal Correspondent :
A human chain was formed and memorandum was handed over to district administration and Environment Directorate in Barisal on Thursday protesting grabbing part of Sandhya River in Banaripara upazila of Barisal.
The human chain programme was organised by Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA) and alliance of different development organisations in front of Barisal Ashwini Kumar Hall in the city.
Akkas Hossain, right and cultural activist, presided over the programme and it was addressed by Rezbiul Kabir, Sukumar Mitra of Nagorik Udyog, Lincon Bayen of Bangladesh Environment Lawyers Association, Anowar Zahid of Barisal NGO Development Network, Advocate Suvash Chandra Biprobedanti, Kazi Jahangir Kabir, Ranjit Datta, Prof . Suruchi Karmakar, Shuvangkar Chakraborty, Sushanta Ghosh, Rafikul Alam, Naqib Abdus Salam, Jahirul Islam Zafar, right activists and development organizers.
The speakers alleged last year local AL leaders and other influential people filled up portions of the river in two places near Banaripara Bazaar to build a market and the local office of the ruling party.
The speakers said before filling up the river for AL office, some local political leaders fenced off around 5,000 square feet more of the river. Later, they filled up the land and sold it to local traders at the rate of Tk 50,000 decimal, traders turning the land into a market within just 500 metres from the UNO office.
Now the upazila nirbahi officer of Banaripara in Barisal has erected a signboard in the middle of the Sandhya River, marking out three acres of land for a “project” of constructing a mosque, a temple, senior citizens’ park, rest house, recreation centre, food court t etc.
The Sandhya connects the Kacha River in Kaukhali to the Kirtankhola in Barisal. It is important to the lives and livelihoods of the locals and filling it up at Banaripara is causing erosion in the villages on the other side, the speakers explained.
The demanded immediate recovery of the encroached and grabbed lands ensuring free flow of the river and assurance of saving the river from the grabbers.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, responsible for managing and protecting the river routes and ports, was also remained indifferent about the matter, although filling up a river is also illegal under the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act 1996 (amendment 2010), they alleged.
Syeed AZ Morshed Ali, UNO Banaripara claimed he erected the signboard to save the area from the hands of influential land grabbers a char is emerging there.
Talukder Md Yunus, district AL Secretary and local lawmaker that it is necessary to register the area as government khas land in khas khatian before implementing any project, which yet not done.
