Punish grabbers of land, water bodies

Green Belt Trust stages a demonstration at Shahbagh in the city yesterday demanding punishment to the land grabbers.Photo: STAR

Speakers at a sit-in progra-mme yesterday demanded exemplary punishment to the grabbers of water bodies, hills and lands to protect the country's environment.
They also called on the government to implement the Detailed Area Plan (DAP) by ignoring threats from a section of realtors.
Green Belt Trust, an organisation of young environmentalists, arranged the programme in front of the Institute of Fine Arts of Dhaka University.
Chairman of Paribesh Bachao Andolan (Bapa) Abu Naser Khan, Green Belt Director General Jasim Qatari, Executive Director Abdullah Abu, Wonders Foundation President Ataullah Khan, Cyber Cafe Association President Nazmul Karim Suman, Alamgir Hossain of Natural Love People, Mehbub Papon of the Green Belt and Shamsul Kabir of Sachetan Nagorik Samaj also spoke at the programme.
Naser said floods and waterlogging are being created in the city following a short spell of rains, and rainwater could not be drained out due to lack of water reservoirs.
"But some realtors are engaged in profiteering by grabbing the existing water bodies ignoring the country's law, while the authorities concerned remain silent in this regard," he said.
Speakers said a section of realtors have become desperate to grab water bodies in the city by violating the law.
They said the realtors even do not hesitate to threaten the state minister concerned, environmentalists and human rights activists for gaining their interest.
They urged the government to play a strong role in stopping the illegal activities of a section of realtors.