TIB expresses concern over removal of NRCC chairman

Staff Reporter :
The removal of the National River Conservation Commission (NRCC) Chairman, Manjur Ahmed Chowdhury proves that the government trying to curb to voice against the encroachers, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) said yesterday.

TIB also expressed deep concern over the government’s decision to sudden appointment scrapped of the chairman of the National River Protection Commission.

In a press release on Friday, the think tank claimed that this move is conflicting with the government’s commitment to protect the river.

Earlier, on Wednesday the public administration ministry issued a gazette notification, cancelling the contractual appointment of Manjur Ahmed Chowdhury as chair of the NRCC citing the ‘public interest’.

The official order came in less than a month after his comment against a female minister in Chandpur, who allegedly has links with the people illegally extracting sand from the River Meghna.

In the press release the Executive Director of TIB Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said ”Though it is a statutory body of Bangladesh, the NRCC has been practically rendered ineffective by the law itself.

‘Through the voice of Manjur Ahmed, at least we could know who is occupying, destroying, polluting the river. A public opinion was being formed, the movement to protect the river was gaining momentum.” he added.

The Executive Director of TIB also said the people of the country had renewed hope that the government would take into account the clear complaints of the commission chairman.

There will be an investigation, the guilty will be held accountable. In reality, that is not the case. Instead, the head of the commission had to move.

Around a month ago, on 24 September, Chowdhury said the influence of a female politician from Chandpur was at play behind the encroachments on the Meghna River.

Last year, he said the Dhaka North City Corporation mayor and Wasa managing director should be sent to jail for repeatedly polluting rivers.
The National River Conservation Commission also identified 37,000 new encroachers of 48 rivers across the country.

Meanwhile, in an immediate response on Wednesday, Manjur Ahmed Chowdhury stated that his removal from the position of chairman of the River Conservation Commission means that all the encroachers and polluters of rivers, including the Padma, Meghna, and Jamuna, have triumphed.