I do not lease any land: State minister for Water Resources

State Minister for Water Resources Zaheed Farooque said that he stopped leasing of the land after taking the charge. 

“Eviction program has started on the banks of the river. It’s sad that the eviction of the poor is not a problem, it is a problem for the rich. They build houses on the lease, he said while responding to a question regarding illegal structures on the bank of the river in a keynote address at a roundtable meeting titled “ Nodi Rokkhay Proyojon Sothik Niyome Nodi khanan”.

The event was organised by Nongor on Wednesday morning.

“Leases will not be facilitated other than agriculture and fish production,” he added. 

Regarding river erosion, Barishal-5 mp Zaheed Farooque further said, “I am from a area where river erosion is a serious problem. So, I know the suffering of the people. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also feels our pain.”

Under the very direction of the PM, the government is taking a project to enhance the water holding capacity by reducing the width of rivers through dredging. Reclaimed land on the side of the river will be used for agriculture, he added.  

“Cropland is decreasing due to population growth. I think cluster village ought to be built to protect agricultural land,“ he further said.

Seeking the cooperation of the people in river protection, the state minister said that he has visited about 300 project areas and told the locals everywhere that you should not allow anyone to extract sand illegally. 

“If necessary, take the cooperation of the administration. As a letter has been sent to all the Deputy Commissioners from the ministry instructing them to stop illegal sand extraction,” he said the locals.

Sumon Shams presided over the program. Chairman of the National River Protection Commission attended the program as the special guest. 

Dr Mujibur Rahman Hawladar, Director General of Water Development Board AM Aminul Haque, BUET Professor. Mir Tareq Ali, Mihir Biswas, Member Secretary of Buriganga Bachao Andolan, Abdus Salam Sikder, Senior Morphologist of IWM spoke on the occasion.