Legal notice issue to save century old pond in Sharankhola
Bagerhat Correspondent :
BELA (Bangladesh Environment Lawyers’ Association) issued a legal notice to the Secretary of Environment, Forest and Weather Change affairs in order to save a century old pond of drinking water at Rayenda Bazar, Upazila headquarters of Sharankhola in Bagerhat accusing him and 7 others as defenders. The legal notice was signed and issued by Hasanul Haq Banna, a lawyer of Supreme Court of Bangladesh, appointed by BELA on July 03, 2023. In the notice the defender was requested to inform the plaintiff of what action was taken in connection with matter within 7 (seven) days with effect from the date of issuing the notice.
Otherwise, legal action will be taken against them (defenders). It was also mentioned in the legal notice.
The other defenders are the Secretary of the Ministry of Lands affair, Secretary of the Ministry of the Local Government, Village Development and Co-operative affairs, Director General of Environment Department, Deputy Commissioner (DC), Bagerhat, Police Super, Bagerhat, Chairman, Bagerhat Zila Parishad and Deputy Director, Environment Department, Bagerhat.
It may be mentioned here that the century old pond of Bagerhat Zila Parishad, situated in Rayenda Bazar, Upazila Headquarters of Sharankhola and it is the only source of pure and sweet drinking water for more than 5 thousand people. A half of the portion of this important pond was leased out to some seven persons such as Shirin Sultana Rumi, Md. Asduzzaman Khan, Ujjal Saha, Amborish Roy, Mausufa Nur Mumu, Md. Imran Uddin Shuva and Shishir Kumar Saha to establish a market there after filling up the pond with mud or sands by the Chairman of Bagerhat Zila Parishad on July 17 in the year 2022.
The matter was leaked out when in this connection a letter was issued by the Zila Parishad reached the Office of Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Sharnkhola on June 20 of the current calendar year.
As a result, the local conscious people strongly protested the matter and demanded the cancellation of the leased out order, stopping the filling up the pond and construction of a market in it without any delay.
In this connection all classes of people including the students formed a number human chains and gathering of people in favour of the demands and save the pond..
In the face of strong agitation and movement the Zila Parishad suspended the construction work for establishing a market there immediately. Mahfuzur Rahman Mukul, Khulna Divisional coordinator of BELA (Bangladesh Environment Lawyers’ Association) in order to save the century old pond a legal notice was served to 8 persons accusing them as defenders including Secretary of the Ministry of Lands affair and the Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Weather Change affairs on behalf of BELA.
The defenders were requested in the legal notice to inform the plaintiff of what step was taken in this respect within 7 days from the date of the issuing of the notice. Otherwise, legal action will be taken against them.
