People come to Jail Khal's rescue
Thousands of people from all walks of life in Barisal city participated in a cleaning campaign to reclaim the city's historic Jail Khal from grabbers and to bring back navigability in the canal on Saturday.
Chanting slogans like "Save Jail Khal", "Jonogoner khaler nabbota firie ano"(bring back navigability in the people's canal), "Jail Khaler oboidho dokhol mukto koro" (free Jail Khal from illegal occupation), they also vowed to regain the city's name "Venice of Bengal", given by National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam for its exceptional scenic beauty, by preserving all the canals flowing through the city.
The drive was conducted at the behest of Deputy Commissioner of Barisal Dr Gazi Md Saifuzzaman.
Junayed Ahmed Palok, state minister for ICT affairs, Jebunnesa Afroj, an Awami League lawmaker, Ahsan Habib Kamal, mayor of Barisal City Corporation, and Abdul Malek, secretary to the local government ministry, among others, were present at the launch of the campaign.
"We held different cultural programmes on the canal's banks to create public awareness of its encroachment," said Sartiz Ridwan Oyon, a theatre activist.
"Jail Khal is a canal of the people. Citizens of all strata should come forward to save it and bring back its navigability," said the deputy commissioner.
Mentionable, over 100 illegal structures have been demolished in the last four months in eviction drives initiated by the district administration.
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