State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury on Tuesday said the sustainable management will be ensured to increase the navigability of 31 waterways in Barishal division.
“The sustainable management will be ensured to increase the navigability of 31 waterways in Barishal division and illegal occupation of all rivers will be evicted,” he said.
The state minister said these while addressing as chief guest a meeting at the conference room of Barisal Circuit House, organized by Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) to increase the navigability of rivers in Barisal division, reduce water logging, restore wetland ecosystem, increase irrigation and landing facilities, an official press release said here.
Khalid Mahmud said all the rivers of the country will be gradually freed from illegal occupants. The eviction of illegal occupants of the rivers is underway in Dhaka, Narayanganj and Chittagong, he added.
He further said that the illegal occupants of all rivers in the country will be evicted in phases. There are 60,000 illegal occupants of different rivers across the country. Of them, 20,000 have already been evicted, the state minister said.
Barisal City Corporation Mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah, BIWTA Chairman Commodore Golam Sadeq, BIWTA Dredging Department Additional Chief Engineer Rafiqul Islam Talukder, Barisal Deputy Commissioner (DC) Jasim Uddin Haider and Superintendent of Police Maruf Hossain, Sadar Upazila Chairman Saidur Rahman, Barisal Press Club President Abul Kalam Azad and Deputy Commissioner of Police Akram Hossain addressed the meeting while Barishal Divisional Commissioner Dr. Amitabh Sarkar was in the chair.
Khalid urged the occupiers to voluntarily give away possession of the river with dignity. Strict action will be taken against the river occupiers if they do not respond to this call, he added.