Eminent citizens for judicial probe

A section of noted citizens yesterday demanded a judicial inquiry into the environment disaster in the Sundarbans posed by the spill of furnace oil, 3.58 lakh litres of which was being carried by a tanker which sank in Mrigamari of the Shela river on being hit by a cargo vessel on December 9.

Although environment laws should have been enforced, especially after Unesco declared it a world heritage site, the world's largest mangrove forest has been seeing commercial vessels plying right through it, endangering the ecosystem, they said on forming a human chain, organised by United National Awami Party (UNAP) before the capital's Bangladesh National Museum.

For over a decade, commercial vessels were using a route via the Shela river as the original Mongla-Ghasiakhali channel lost its navigability.

 “It needs to be known which quarters were involved in violating laws and for whose interests,” said UNAP President Pankaj Bhattacharya, urging the authority to seek foreign expertise alongside the local to limit the extent of the damage.

Columnist Abul Maksud said the Sundarbans was synonymous to the country's existence.  “Those involved in putting the heritage in danger should be punished,” he said.