BNP demands revoking 'Jamuna River Narrowing Project'

The BNP on Tuesday demanded the immediate cancellation of the 'Jamuna River Narrowing Project' as the party thinks it will have a seriously bad impact on the environment and climate.

"Our standing committee meeting yesterday (Monday) discussed a dangerous project taken by the government to narrow the Jamuna River," said party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Speaking at a press conference at the BNP Chairperson's Gulshan office, Fakhrul said their party policymakers think that this project will seriously damage the environment, nature, people's livelihood and the climate of Bangladesh.

"We demand cancellation of such a suicidal decision," he said.

According to the media reports, the Water Development Board has prepared a project proposal of Tk1,110 crore to reduce the width of the Jamuna River to 6.5 kilometres from 15 kilometres.

The Ministry of Water Resources has already sent the proposed project titled 'Sustainable Infrastructure for Jamuna River Bank Protection and Risk Mitigation' to the Planning Commission.

Strongly opposing the project, Fakhrul said the government has already allocated money for this pilot project. "It is a deadly and suicidal project. The problem with the government is that they don't have a focus on matters that are urgently needed for the country."

He said there is no initiative or project to free Buriganga and Shitalakkhya Rivers from pollution. "In whose interest they want to narrow the Jamuna River which has been flowing for thousands of years."

The BNP leader alleged that the government has taken the project to plunder a huge amount of public money by destroying a river. "This project must be stopped immediately and people must be given a clear idea about this project."

Fakhrul also said the government has chosen the power sector as the main area for indulging in corruption and they are looting thousands of crores of taka from the sector.

He also said the government is also raising the power tariffs frequently one after another to plunder public money.