BNP reveals Sundarbans oil spill probe findings today

BNP will make public today the findings of its investigation into the oil-tanker crash in the Shela River of the Sundarbans and the subsequent effects on the biodiversity of the world's largest mangrove forest due to oil spill.

The findings will be revealed at a press conference at BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's Gulshan office at 11:00am, her media wing member Sayrul Kabir Khan told the news agency.

He said chief of the seven-member probe body, formed on December 20, and BNP Vice Chairman Hafizuddin Ahmed, also a former water resources minister, handed over a copy of the report to the BNP chairperson on Wednesday midnight.

Khaleda asked Hafiz to brief the media about the findings with party acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

The committee members visited the spot and talked to the local people, public representatives and experts, monitored the overall activities of cleaning the spilled oil and assessed the environmental impacts of the oil-tanker collapse incident, Sayrul added.

The 'OT Southern Star 7', carrying some 3.57 lakh litres of furnace oil, sank in the river at Mrigmari under East Zone of the Sundarbans after being hit by a cargo vessel, 'Total Cargo, on December 9, causing a serious threat to the mangrove forest and its natural resources due to the oil spill.