Fascists will also be tried for the murder of rivers: Councilor Farid

Actual fishermen lost their livelihoods to fish businessmen in a fascist structure under the Awami League, she says

UNB

October 29, 2024, 8:55 p.m

Last updated: October 29, 2024, 9:02 p.m

Farida Akhtar. Sketch: TBS

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Farida Akhtar. Sketch: TBS

Fascists should also be tried for killing rivers because they have destroyed democracy and the environment in the name of development, Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter said today (29 October).

“When we judge the fascists, they must also be judged for killing rivers. I believe that this is a very important matter for us,” she said, calling the killing of the river a genocide.

She said this while speaking at the launch of a report and seminar titled “Rivers under Fascism” at the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) auditorium in Dhaka.

PIB and the River Delta Research Center (RDRC) jointly organized the ceremony to focus on the damage done to the country’s rivers in the last 15 years during the Awami League regime.

The Fisheries and Animal Husbandry Adviser said genuine fishermen lost their livelihood to fish businessmen in the fascist setup during the Awami League.

“I think that the mother of fascism and several brothers of fascism left (ran away). But we cannot say that all fascism has gone. I think we need to do more work here,” she said.

Farida Akhter said that they (AL) destroyed democracy and environment in the name of development.

She criticized poets and writers for not raising their voice against the destruction of rivers. “Rivers should have been the subject of poets and writers. But how many poets and writers opposed such destruction of rivers? she said

“We will look into whether a law can be formulated to recognize river robbers as criminals and take action against them,” she said.

Emphasizing on the protection of rivers from the hands of fascism in the post-mass uprising era, the councilor said, “Our mass uprising was successful, but now we have to save our rivers.”

Farida Akhter said they will add a special section when the constitution is rewritten to save natural resources like rivers and our nature.

Information and Broadcasting Adviser Naheed Islam said the nature of the country and the river have been damaged time and again due to fascist and development policies.

“We need more discussion and research on this issue. We should really think about how we can overcome this catastrophic state (of the rivers),” he said.

The information adviser said the government will have to adopt a national policy on rivers, agriculture and environment.

He also emphasized on the formation of long-term and short-term plans with consultations in this regard.

Referring to the comments of other speakers who said that the fascists were still present in the river sector, he said: “We will need to prepare sketches and plans of action and work so that we can resist the invaders.”

Noting that rivers and water will be more critical issues in future politics, Nahid said, “We are looking forward to cooperation with everyone so that we can restore our rivers (to their normal form), restore water flows in the rivers and bring the encroachers to justice properly.” .

PIB Director General Farooq Wasif presided over the event and RDRC Chairman Mohammad Azaz delivered the keynote address in which the findings of the research conducted by RDRC were presented.

Bangladesh’s rivers and wetlands have suffered relentless exploitation and degradation due to illegal sand mining and encroachment by the fascist AL regime from 2009 to 2024, according to the study.

Political leaders and local mafias have seized control of these waterways, leading to significant environmental destruction.

Although illegal sand mining has a negative impact on the environment, economy and local communities, such sand mining is common in many places in Bangladesh.

A total of 256 mafias (influential persons) including local political leaders, businessmen and organized groups controlled illegal sand mining at 176 locations of various rivers like Meghna, Padma and Jamuna across the country.

Around 77 rivers are now threatened by illegal sand mining and the country’s economy is losing Tk 27.13 crore every day.