‘Those in power are behind river encroachment’

Ruling party lawmaker Kamrul Islam, also former food minister, said river grabbers and public representatives who assist them mostly belong to the ruling party.

"They [encroachers] are our people," he said while speaking as the guest of honour in the Buriganga River Carnival, organised by Waterkeepers Bangladesh Consortium and Buriganga Nodi Morcha in the capital's Kamrangirchar yesterday.

"Who encroaches rivers? If I say it, it would go against me," he said. "Encroachers always side with the party in power, no matter if it's BNP, Awami League or Jatiya Party," he added.

He said the grabbers who were relocating the demarcation pillar with support from the ruling party people were evicted from the banks of Buriganga successfully.

"We want to get back the Buriganga we saw during our childhood. The chaos Dhaka is experiencing now was caused by Zia [Ziaur Rahman] and Ershad [HM Ershad], who destroyed most of the rivers in the city," he said.

The water accumulated in Dhaka cannot recede due to the destruction of the rivers, he observed.

He also claimed that no government took any measure to save Buriganga from pollution and encroachment.

Who encroaches rivers? If I say it, it would go against me. Encroachers always side with the party in power, no matter if it's BNP, Awami League or Jatiya Party.

"The manifesto fielded by our prime minister in the 2008 election proclaimed to save the rivers, reclaim and free those from encroachment."

Rights activist Sultana Kamal, also president of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa) who chaired the event, raised the question as to why anyone with a ruling party connection gets away with any misdeed.

"Everyone retreats hearing their political affiliations. Why do the administration and police remain inactive when rivers are encroached by ruling party activists?" said Sultana Kamal, demanding answers from political leaders, police and the concerned authorities.

Sharif Jamil, general secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon, moderated the programme.

Eight councillors of Dhaka South City Corporation participated in the programme and committed to putting a stop to any further onslaught on Buriganga.

A boat rally -- parading from Muslimbagh point to Sadarghat -- was also organised as part of the programme displaying placards that urged people to be cautious against river pollution and encroachment.

Humayun Kabir, general secretary of Awami League's Dhaka south city unit; Kristin Mccrae, director, Office of Democracy, Human Rights and Governance, USAID Bangladesh; Mainuddin Ahmed, chief of Party Counterpart International, and Prof Kamruzzaman Mojumder, founder and chair of Centre for Atmospheric Pollution Studies, spoke at the event, among others.