State Minister for Shipping, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury on Saturday said the country was not ruled properly after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s assassination, and before Sheikh Hasina’s tenure.
The rulers of the tenures in between were busy killing, looting and creating anarchy in the country. There was no one to look after the rivers and waterways. Due to negligence of the authorities, the country’s rivers have lost their flow and navigability.
The government of Sheikh Hasina has taken several steps to rescue the rivers and waterways from illegal grabbers and ensure navigability, so that people can enjoy smooth and less expensive waterways. The government is working to recover the waterway to make river tourism flourish, he said while addressing a seminar organized at Jatiya Press Club.
Shipping and Communication Reporters’ Forum (SCRF) organised the seminar titled ‘course of actions needed to flourish tourism and protect rivers and waterways’.
SCRF president Ashish Kumar Dey chaired the event while Bangaldesh Inland Water Transport Authority Chairman, Golam Sadeq, former Director General of River Research Institute (RRI) Lutfor Rahman, river researcher Aminur Rasul Babul, SCRF vice president Amaresh Roy, member Rafiqul Islam Sabuj and BIWTA Employees Union president Abul Hossain also spoke.
Moderated by its general secretary Mohosinul Karim, former SCRF president Anisur Rahman Khan presented a keynote paper at the programme.
Khalid Mahmud said that the country may fall into risk if they are not managed properly. Considering the issue, the ruling AL had incorporated the issue of river dredging in its election pledges. The government has already taken initiatives to dredge around 10,000km waterways. To conduct the huge dredging work round the year, it has decided to buy necessary dredgers.
Once the rivers are dredged properly, the rivers will be navigable. It would help to flourish river tourism for recreation and attract local and foreign tourists, he added.
Golam Sadeq emphasized on ensuring coordination between the authorities relevant with managing waterways and tourism to take its benefits to the doorsteps of people.
Lutfor Rahman recommended that the government form a task force comprising the representatives of local administration, public representatives and social activists to save the rivers and recover waterways.
Aminur Rasul Babul urged the government to formulate separate law to protect the rivers from illegal grabbers and conduct census on rivers soon.
