Professor Md Anwar Sadat, Central President of Bangladesh Nodi Bachao Andolan, said rivers across the country are facing an existential crisis due to widespread encroachment and pollution, and rescuing them is impossible without firm political and administrative commitment.
He made the remarks on Monday while addressing the 20th founding anniversary programme of “Citizens’ Rally to Protect Rivers”, organised by the Panchagarh district branch at historic Tentulia in Panchagarh.
Presided over by AKM Fazle Noor Bachchu, President of the Panchagarh district committee, the event was attended by special guests including Dinajpur district president Yadav Chandra Roy, Rangpur district representative Md Nasir Uddin Russell, Thakurgaon district president Farzana Akhter Pakhi, Nilphamari district president Md Abdur Rouf, and Panchagarh district general secretary Professor Md Shahadat Hossain.
Speaking as the chief guest, Professor Anwar Sadat said, “River protection must now be treated as a matter of national security. If the rivers survive, agriculture, nature and the country will survive.”
Central Vice-President Dr Muhammad Anwar Hossain, said that the drying up of northern rivers has put agriculture, the environment and people’s livelihoods at serious risk.
“If river restoration does not begin immediately, future generations will face a severe crisis,” he warned.
He emphasised that protecting Panchagarh’s rivers requires unity among local communities.
“Freeing rivers from encroachment, controlling pollution and building awareness are our three core priorities,” he added.
Speakers at the rally stressed coordinated national and local-level initiatives, stricter monitoring, and greater public awareness to safeguard rivers. They called for a collective effort to ensure rivers remain free of encroachment and pollution.
Others who spoke included Tentulia branch president Md Zahidul Islam, general secretary Manjur Alam Siddiqui, organising secretary Ahnaf, CTI director and journalist M.A. Based, and environmental award winner Mamunul Islam.
