DT e-Paper, Friday, Decdember 13, 2017

6
FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 2017
DT
News
16 Khulna rivers about to die
• Md Hedait Hossain Molla,
Khulna
Once 16 mighty rivers run-through
the district are now on the verge
of extinction due to manifold reasons.
According to Water Devolopment
Board, there are 41 rivers in
the district. Of those, once mighty
Atharobak, Voirab, Hamkumra,
Vadrab, Salta,Kapottakha, Kajibacha,
Naluya, Dhangmari, Hori,
Atai, Jhopjhopiya,Khoriya, Mayour.
Dhaki, Rupsha Rivers are now
in death like situation.
Maximum of those are heavily
tapped for agriculture, industry and
municipal uses along its course.
A section of local influential
people also set up shops, schools,
homes and many other establishments
grabbing the rivers.
Locals said one could not imagine
that once there were mighty
rivers in the district, but now there
is no water flow in the rivers.
Locals cultivate
paddy after filing
up a portion of
the Nalua River
in Taliamar area
in Khulna. The
picture was taken
yesterday
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Deputy Commissioner Nazmul
Ahsan said residents had to suffer a
lot as they could not run their trade
and business smoothly for collapse
of the major rivers.
“We have taken steps to free the
rivers from land grabbers,” he said.
Advocate Kudrat-E-Khuda said
Khulna city was built up depending
on the Moiur, Rupsaha, Voirab,
Shibsha and Kazibachha Rivers.
But now trades and business of the
city had to face serious difficulty
due to collapse of the rivers.
“Due to negligibility crisis, these
rivers are over flooded during natural
disaster like Sidr and Aila and
thousands of people are left marooned
after tidal surge.”
Mahendra Nath Sen, secretary
general of Jano-uddhag, a local
NGO, said the influential people
Indian Assistant High
Commission in Khulna soon
• Md Hedait Hossain
Molla, Khulna
High commissioner of India
Harsh Vardhan Shringla yesterday
said India was going to
open an Assistant High Commission
in Khulna city soon.
“Khulna city is an important
for Bangladesh-India
relationship. After understanding
its importance, India
has planned to open an
Assistant High Commission
in Khulna city within very
short time,” Harsh Vardhan
said it in a programme organised
by Khulna Chamber of
Commerce and Industries at
its office.
He said: “Khulna is not
only the closet city of Kolkata
but it has long history of
trade and business with India.
Even Kolkata’s ex-Chief
Minister Prafulla Chandra
Sen was born in Khulna.”
The High Commissioner
also said: “India is eager to
enhance economic relation
with Bangladesh. In this regard,
we are going to open a
new Assistant High Commission
in Khulna city.”
Local lawmakers Talukder
Abdul Khaleque, Mizanur
JU completes 46 years
• JU Correspondent
Jahangirnagar University
(JU), the lone residential university
in Bangladesh, completed
its 46 years’ glorious
journey yesterday.
To celebrate the historic
journey of the institution and
observe the “Jahangirnagar
University Day”, the university
administration chalked
out a two-day-long colourful
programme which began in
the morning.
Professor Farzana Islam,
vice-chancellor (VC) of the
university, inaugurated the
“Jahangirnagar University
had built up the structures around
the rivers defying law.
Due to the illegal establishments,
the rivers had its natural
beauty and environment in the
area became polluted, he said.
Mahabub, of Chaia-brikkha, an officer
of another local NGO, said if there
was a little rain, the city went under
water as the water could not be removed
through the narrow channel.
Day” hoisting national flag
and releasing colourful balloons
on Business Studies
premises around 10:30am.
Marking the day, former
and incumbent students as
well as teachers and employees
of JU brought out a colourful
procession from Business
Studies premises. The
procession ended at Selim Al
Deen open stage.
Later, the VC laid the
foundation stone of Abdul
Kadir Molla Convention centre
near Social Science Faculty
around 11:15am.
The second-day programmes
of the celebration
Maximum rivers near the city
had turned into like narrow canal,
he said.
Advocate Babul Haolader said
Lilian Park on the Mayour River
should not be built up.
According to him, strict controls
should be exercised not to allow
any development on the designated
sites of river / water bodies till
the lands are taken over for execution
of open space development
projects. Only agriculture or forest
related activities may be allowed
for the interim period.
On the other hand, people from
all walk of life brought out a procession
in the city on Sunday to recover
the rivers from the clutches
of the grabbers.
Later, they submitted a memorandum
to the deputy commissioner
where among others Advocate
Kurat-E-khuda, Mohsin, Krishak
League leader Shaymol Singh and
Shamima Sultana were present on
the occasion. •
Rahman Mizan, Kazi Aminul
Haque, president of Khulna
Chamber of Commerce
and Industries, Abdus Samad,
deputy commissioner of
Khulna and others were present
at the meeting.
Before joining the programme
the high commissioner
visited the construction
works of Rupsa Railway
Bridge of Khulna-Mongla
railway in Putibari area in
Rupsa River.
Bangladesh and India
are jointly constructing the
64.75 kilometres long Khulna-Mongla
railway. •
will start today morning. Former
students of the university
will bring a colourful procession
in the morning. The
celebration is scheduled to
end in the evening through
cultural programme and raffle
draw.
The only full-residential
university of the country
was set up on 697.56 acres
of land in Savar beside the
Dhaka-Manikganj Highway
32-kilometre away from the
capital in August 1970. The
then Chancellor Rear Admiral
SM Ahsan inaugurated the
academic activities of the university
on January 12, 1971. •