Students, greens protest filling of pond in Barisal
STAFF REPORTER, Barisal
Students and green activists formed a human chain in the city yesterday protesting filling of Shib-Bari pond at Muslim Gorostan Road of the city.
The protest programme was was addressed among others by Prof Md Hanif, Mizan Khshru, Abdul Awal, local councilor Zakir Hossain, environment activist Wahiduzzaman.
In the protest event the speakers demanded immediate stopping of filling a public pond.
The pond was situated on ward no 21 about 50 decimal of Vested property. But some land grabbers are trying to fill the pond making false documents and decrees, the speakers alleged.
Abdul Awal, vice president of the adjacent Adarsha Govt. Primary School Managing Committee said, This land was part of Vested property and there was a Shib Mandir (temple) served by one Sebait (priest).
After Liberation War the Sebait went to India and since then primary school authorities have been using this pond.
Mizan Khashru, one of senior citizen of the area said, This land was owned by one Upendra Kishor and he donated the land including pond as debottor for running the temple. However, recently Nurul Islam, BCC councilor of Ward no 21 and his associates demanding ownership of the land trying to fill the pond with sands since Thursday night, he added.
A H M Rashed, assistant director, Environment Directorate Barisal divisional office, said they did not give any permission for filling the pond.
Acknowledging fact for not taking any permission from environment directorate, Nurul Islam claimed that he had proper documents about ownership of the pond and filling of private pond did not require any permission.
