The Dhanmondi Lake has another scavenger in human form hovering it. This time a government ministry or a party authorised by it is lying in wait to pounce on it. They have filled up a large chunk of whatever remains of the lake to raise residential flats for government officers.

The stealth with which they had apparently moved ahead with their hidden agenda smacks of criminal insensitivity to the feelings of Dhanmondi residents. Previously we had voiced concern over how private parties and individuals were spoiling the lake by constricting its flow and polluting its water. For the most part of the last 35 years this lake has been the sole cool eddy girdling and sustaining the wooded section of Dhanmondi area. But now the balancer of ecology, the breathing space and the recreation enclave of Dhanmondi zone is being intruded upon by none other than a governmental authority. On top of the lack of maintenance of the lake this comes as an insult to injury. We are, therefore, on the side of the local inhabitants and Join them in their protests against the impending housing encroachment on the lake property.

Before starting a crusade on this, we would like a public statement made by the works ministry on the misgivings arising out of the filling work in the lake area in the light of documents in our possession.