WDB tells HC No plans to narrow Jamuna River
Staff Reporter :
The Bangladesh Water Development Board (WDB) on Sunday informed the High Court that it has no plans to narrow the Jamuna River.
Lawyer Arobinda Kumar Roy representing the Water Development Board told this to the court citing documents on the proposal during the hearing of a writ petition.
The “Jamuna River Sustainable Management Project-1” has been initiated after consultation with the Prime Minister’s economic affairs advisor and World Bank officials, said the lawyer adding that the project is in the initial stage and dredging and embankment building works were yet to be approved.
After the hearing, the HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Muhammad Mahbub Ul Islam said the court will pass an order on the petition on Monday.
The HC bench on May 28 ordered the Water Development Board to submit the relevant documents regarding the proposal. Authorities of the Water Development Board have been asked to submit the documents with the court within 10 days.
The High Court bench passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by some Supreme Court lawyers on behalf of a rights organization, Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB).
Lawyer Manzill Murshid appeared in the court on behalf of the writ petitioner, while Deputy Attorney General Abul Kalam Khan Daud represented the state.
On March 12 this year, a Bangla daily published a report under the banner of “A plan for narrowing Jamuna River (Jamuna nodi chhoto korar chinta)”. The writ petition was filed last month annexing the published report.
The officials involved in the ‘Jamuna River narrowing project’ have committed misconduct under Rule 2 of the Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 2018. Therefore, the writ sought direction from the HC to take action against them.
It also prayed to the court to issue a rule regarding the matter. According to the published report, the Water Development Board has prepared a project proposal of Tk 11.10 billion to reduce the width of the Jamuna River to 6.5 kilometres from 15 kilometres.
