Questions raised over Mongla channel reopening

Green activists yesterday raised questions about the success of reopening of the Mongla-Ghashiakhali channel, after spending Tk 230 crore for dredging purposes. “The Mongla-Ghashiakhali channel dredging project may not achieve its desired objective due to the authority’s suspicious role in taking action against owners of the shrimp enclosures. The role of the local administration, water board, elected local public representatives and politicians in removing shrimp enclosures owned by local influential people from different canals’ link to the channel is doubtful,” engineer M Enamul Huq, an adviser of the National Committee to Protect Shipping, Road and Railway (NCPRR), said at a press briefing at Mukti Bhaban yesterday.
The committee revealed the present condition of the dredging and local people’s opinion on the Mongla-Ghashiakhali channel.
Among others, central leader of the NCPRR Ruhin Hossain Prince, Murshikul Islam Shimul and former director of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, Emdadul Huq Badsha, were present at the press briefing.
President of the organisation Tushar Rehman presented the keynote paper on the present dredging condition of the channel. He alleged that the BIWTA is yet to complete 60 per cent of the channel’s dredging work, which began in July last year.
Considering the national interest and following international pressure, the government took up the three-year project at a cost of Tk. 230 crore under the capital dredging project, a priority project of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The government has expedited the dredging work after an oil tanker sank in the Shella river and decided not to allow any commercial vessel inside the Sunderbans, they said.

Questions raised over Mongla channel reopening

Green activists yesterday raised questions about the success of reopening of the Mongla-Ghashiakhali channel, after spending Tk 230 crore for dredging purposes. The Mongla-Ghashiakhali channel dredging project may not achieve its desired objective due to the authoritys suspicious role in taking action against owners of the shrimp enclosures. The role of the local administration, water board, elected local public representatives and politicians in removing shrimp enclosures owned by local influential people from different canals link to the channel is doubtful, engineer M Enamul Huq, an adviser of the National Committee to Protect Shipping, Road and Railway (NCPRR), said at a press briefing at Mukti Bhaban yesterday. The committee revealed the present condition of the dredging and local peoples opinion on the Mongla-Ghashiakhali channel. Among others, central leader of the NCPRR Ruhin Hossain Prince, Murshikul Islam Shimul and former director of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, Emdadul Huq Badsha, were present at the press briefing. President of the organisation Tushar Rehman presented the keynote paper on the present dredging condition of the channel. He alleged that the BIWTA is yet to complete 60 per cent of the channels dredging work, which began in July last year. Considering the national interest and following international pressure, the government took up the three-year project at a cost of Tk. 230 crore under the capital dredging project, a priority project of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The government has expedited the dredging work after an oil tanker sank in the Shella river and decided not to allow any commercial vessel inside the Sunderbans, they said.