Ensure jail for river grabbers, polluters

Stressing the need for implementing all High Court directives to save the rivers, experts yesterday urged the government to ensure imprisonment of river grabbers and polluters as killing rivers is a criminal offence.

The government should ensure that no ruling party leaders create any obstacle to eviction of river grabbers, they said at a programme marking the launch of "Annual Report 2019" by the National River Conservation Commission (NRCC). 

Addressing the programme, NRCC Chairman Mujibur Rahman Howlader said they have so far identified 63,249 grabbers of 776 rivers across the country, and 18,579 of them have been evicted.

"Eviction of more than 18,000 grabbers with limited resources is a big achievement," he noted.

"We are yet to identify all the grabbers and polluters. The commission has to continue its work vigorously."

The number of river grabbers across the country was 57,390 till the end of 2019.

The NRCC chairman said the commission made a list of grabbers and also a list of rivers all over the country. None of the government agencies has a complete list of rivers.

"The commission sought information on rivers and grabbers from administration of all 64 districts and has so far found names of 776 rivers." 

Even all those rivers that are dead now need to be identified and recovered from grabbers, he noted.

Mujibur said that though there are many environmental laws, those are not implemented. The government needs to implement the laws and punish the grabbers and polluters.

"No river grabber or polluter lands in jail though the punishment of prison term is there in the laws. If we only fine them, they will not stop their misdeeds as they have money and power," the NRCC chairman pointed out.

Administration of all districts needs to make databases of rivers with details of their original areas as per the cadastral land survey record in line with an HC order.

Joining the programme virtually as the chief guest, Planning Minister MA Mannan said the government is committed to saving the rivers and will take necessary steps to that end.

"It's true that the government made compromises and didn't do all the things needed to protect the rivers. But it is committed and continues its effort to save those."

The minister also said he would talk to the prime minister about further efforts to save the rivers.

Brac Chairman Hossain Zillur Rahman said government efforts are limited to making lists of grabbers and evicting them.

"Only eviction of grabbers is not enough, we need to nourish the rivers," he said.

Environmentalists have been talking about saving rivers for a long time. Now it is time for economists to show the economic value of saving a river, rather than killing it in the name of development, Zillur noted.

Mahfuz Anam, editor and publisher of The Daily Star, said that if the relevant laws are not implemented, the river grabbers and polluters will become more aggressive in carrying on their misdeeds.

The landmass of Bangladesh was formed as the rivers brought sediment from the Himalayas, he noted.

"If we cannot protect our rivers, our very existence will be threatened. If we only think about industrialisation without taking the rivers and the environment into consideration, one day we will have to hire foreign consultants to revive the rivers.

"Otherwise, we will not be able to live here."

Dr Rashed Ahmed Titumir, chairman of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, said the government needs to involve people in the efforts to save the rivers.

Government agencies often take up development projects that lead to death of rivers. The government should conduct benefit-cost analysis before taking up a project and ensure conservation of the rivers and the environment.

Sharif Jamil, general secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon, said the HC has issued so many directives to the government but those were not implemented because river grabbers are powerful and influential people in the society.

"I urge the government to evict the river grabbers and also make sure that no one can grab any river from now on."

The government should also ensure punishment of those public officials concerned who don't perform their duties and let grabbers encroach on rivers.

Manzill Murshid, a lawyer at the Supreme Court, said a law should be enacted with a provision making river grabbers and polluters ineligible to contest elections and also to get bank loans.

NRCC Member Sharmin Sonia Murshid, who conducted the programme, urged the government to help and empower the commission so that it can work effectively.

She also thanked The Daily Star for regularly covering river-related issues.

The programme was also attended by divisional commissioners as well as deputy commissioners from different districts.