Female minister from Chandpur behind Meghna river encroachment, River commission chairman claims

The influence of a female politician from Chandpur is at play behind the encroachments on the Meghna River, Manjur Ahmed Chowdhury, chairman of the National River Conservation Commission (NRCC), said on Sunday.

During an event organised to commemorate World River Day on Sunday, Manjur Ahmed Chowdhury said, "A female minister from Chandpur is connected to individuals engaged in unauthorised sand extraction from the Meghna River."

Speaking at the "Bangladesh Rivers: Definition and Number", organised by the NRCC at the CIRDAP Auditorium in the capital, Manjur Ahmed said, "A single person extracted 668 crore cubic feet of sand from the Meghna River, which amounts to a financial value exceeding Tk6,000 crore. This individual's wrongdoing was legitimised in exchange for a fee of Tk267 crore," said the commission's chief.

Manjur Ahmed highlighted a renewed effort to extract sand from the Meghna River, expressing concerns about the environmental impact on the river, fish, and surrounding ecosystem.

At this point, without explicitly naming anyone, he said, "They have connections with a female minister from Chandpur."

He also addressed the encroachments of the Karnaphuli River. 

"The Karnaphuli River is being sold in the name of leasing. The Ministry of Shipping, Chittagong Port Authority and District Council are involved in this process. The Chittagong City Corporation is the latest entity to join the group," the river commission's chairman added.

He said, "The Karnaphuli River holds significant environmental and economic importance. However, with the declaration of Special Economic Zones, the river's land is being fragmented and degraded."