Another public pond faces encroachment in Ctg, ‘indifference of DoE office’ protested
Protesters have demanded immediate government intervention to halt pond encroachment in the city
Environmental activists in Chattogram have condemned the inaction of the local Department of Environment (DoE) regarding the illegal filling of a historic community public pond in the city's Mohora area.
The authorities have yet to respond in four days since the filing of a complaint to save the century-old community pond in the city's Mohora area from being filled-up, they alleged.
In protest, they organised a human chain and a rally under the banner of the Bangladesh Poribesh Surakkha Andolon, and the Chattogram Development Forum, in front of the Chattogram Press Club today (19 July).
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Chief guest Mahfuzur Rahman, a freedom fighter and prominent environmentalist, said, "Of 4,641 ponds across Chattogram city, 2,390 are now under the control of land grabbers".
Chairing the event, Bangladesh Poribesh Surakkha Andolon Central President MA Hashem Raju said, "Ponds are being filled in the dead of night. Without decisive steps, Chattogram's ecological balance will collapse."
Chattogram Development Forum's Acting General Secretary Khorshed Alamdaar alleged that a nexus within the DoE is enabling illegal pond filling by deliberately ignoring complaints.
Protesters demanded immediate government intervention to halt pond encroachment in the city, and called for urgent measures to protect Chattogram's natural resources.
In a recent incident last month, the DoE's Chattogram Metropolitan Office was found not to have taken action against an illegal pond filling in the city's Chawkbazar area, even six days after written complaints were filed.
Following a media report and an order from Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, the DoE conducted a drive on 29 June and confiscated an excavator involved in the illegal earth-filling.
Subsequently, on 2 July, the DoE filed a case against seven individuals in connection with the incident. However, locals alleged that an innocent individual—unrelated to the pond filling—was falsely implicated, while those truly responsible were spared.
A TBS investigation found that the brothers of the primary accused—who were present at the scene during the drive and had been served a notice to attend a DoE hearing and admitted to TBS of their involvement—were not named in the case.
