Formulate policy to save over 400 haors

Former chief adviser Justice Muhammad Habibur Rahman speaks at Haor Convention at the Institute of Engineers in the city yesterday.Photo: STAR

Justice Muhammad Habibur Rahman, chief adviser of a former caretaker government, has called for formulating a 'Haor Policy' to save more than 400 haors of the country and improve the livelihood of people living around the haors.
"Not only the livelihood of more than two crore people but also a different folk culture will be threatened if we cannot save the haors," he said while inaugurating the first ever 'Haor Convention' in the country yesterday.
“The rivers and wetlands are dying due to wrong policies of the governments in the past,” said Justice Rahman at the programme held at the Institute of Engineers in the city.
Speakers at the inaugural session also urged the government to formulate separate policies for protecting the ecology of haors and ensuring sustainable development of haor basins.
Mostafa Zabbar, convener of Haor Convention, chaired the session which was also addressed by Prof ASM Shafiullah, vice-chancellor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet), AMA Muhit, former minister, Dr Abdur Razzak, former lawmaker, Farah Kabir, country director of Action Aid, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, director of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), Ziaul Haque of Oxfam and Nirmal Bhattacharya of Nagorik Udyog.
Prof Shafiullah said development plan for haor area must be taken considering the ecosystem.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan said the livelihood issue of the local people should be addressed properly while making a policy.
Farah Kabir said a flexible school calendar should be formulated for the children of haor region as people of haor areas are marooned for six months a year.
In his welcome speech, Nirmal Bhattachariya said though haor area is neglected, it can provide three months' food for the whole country.
In the two-day-long convention, the participants are discussing several issues related to haor people, their livelihood and culture to make a set of recommendations and work plan.
Engineer Md Helaluddin is conducting the session.