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River Protection Commission starts journey

Staff Correspondent
National River Protection Commission launched its journey yesterday with a vow to reclaim most rivers, particularly four around the capital city that are ruthlessly being grabbed and polluted by powerful quarters.
The commission, which will work merely as a recommending body and lacks the power to implement any of its decision, is formed under National River Protection Commission Act passed last year.
Led by a retired bureaucrat, it will work under the shipping ministry and will submit reports to the president in March every year.
But formation of the commission is still incomplete with only two of the five-member body appointed so far — the chairman and a permanent member.
Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan ceremoniously inaugurated the commission's office with red carpets laid out all
over the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation building on the city's Rajuk Avenue at Dainik Bangla intersection.
Md Atharul Islam, a retired secretary, has been appointed the commission chairman and Md Alauddin, who went on retirement leave as a shipping ministry additional secretary, has been taken on a three-year contract as the permanent member of the commission.
Rest of the commission members are supposed to be a hydrologist, an environmental expert and a lawyer, all as part-time honorary members. Shipping ministry would recommend the names of the members to public administration ministry that will finally place the names at the Prime Minister’s Office for approval.
Feroz Khan Nun, a joint secretary of public administration ministry, presently attached to the shipping ministry, will work as the commission secretary.
"Formation of the commission is not complete yet, as it requires at least three members out of five to take a decision," said Khan.
Approval of the commission's organogram would even take years, as it is now undergoing ministerial scrutiny, he added.
While inaugurating the commission, minister Shajahan Khan termed the river grabbers and polluters as present-day "Razakars", meaning enemy of the country.
Commission Chairman Atharul Islam said, "We are deeply grateful to the government as it started releasing an allocation of Tk 2.37 crore for the commission in the current fiscal."
The commission will mainly make recommendations and coordinate the role of various government agencies involved with rivers, he said, adding that they will draw up action plan to restore four rivers around Dhaka on priority in keeping with the court order and then take care of other rivers.
There are over a dozen government agencies involved in different aspects of river management.
The High Court in a 2009 judgment, among other directions, ordered the government to form a commission which would be the highest authority in protecting the rivers.
Ironically, Buriganga, Turag, Balu and Shitalakkhya rivers around the capital together have lost an estimated 2,500 acres of extensive foreshores because of faulty demarcation pillars being set up following the court order, making them officially narrower.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela), said though an advisory body, the commission should be given the chance to show what role it can play in saving the rivers.
The shipping secretary Syed Monjurul Islam was also present.