Meghna River bank: Public hearing raises concerns against fossil fuel-based project

Staff Correspondent :

A public hearing was held on the banks of the Meghna River in Sonargaon today to protest a proposed fossil-fuel project and to demand protection of environmental justice for marginalized communities.

The event, organized jointly by JetNet BD and the Environment Protection and Development Society, began at 11:00 a.m. at the Meghna Ghat and drew farmers, fishers and local residents who described the hardships they are facing.

Farmers who spoke at the hearing said that industrial waste and pollution have steadily reduced the fertility of their fields. They reported that contaminated water is disrupting irrigation systems and severely lowering crop yields, forcing many to consider changing their livelihoods.

Local fishers complained that oil, coal ash and other industrial effluents have polluted the river and destroyed fish breeding grounds. With fish stocks falling alarmingly, many now return empty-handed after a day’s fishing, putting their incomes and food security at risk.

Residents also raised health concerns, saying that use of polluted water has led to skin diseases, respiratory problems and stomach illnesses among children, the elderly and other family members. Many families are unable to afford rising medical costs and are living in dire conditions, they said.

Speakers argued that although the project is framed as development, the losses suffered by vulnerable communities are not being properly considered. The hearing was chaired by Md. Fazlul Haq Bhuiya, president of the Environment Protection and Development Society’s Sonargaon upazila committee, and was moderated by the organization’s general secretary, Mizanur Rahman.

In his keynote address, the Society’s chairman, Mohammad Hossain, warned that fossil-fuel-based development poses a major threat to the environment and people’s lives. He said development that ignores the rights of marginalized communities cannot be sustainable.

Haji Md. Sadek Bhuiya attended as the chief guest. Special guests included Md. Ripon Bhuiya, senior vice-president of the Environment Protection and Development Society Md. Monir Hossain, Maulana Abu Kawsar and Maulana Ibrahim.

At the close of the hearing, participants demanded effective measures to reduce the harmful impacts of fossil fuels, stricter enforcement of laws to protect rivers and the environment, and the inclusion of marginalized communities’ voices in policy decisions.