Readers’ Forum

Champions of the Earth

We congratulate Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for winning the champions of the Earth Award. She has been named as one of the winners of the UN’s highest environmental accolade in recognition of Bangladesh’s far-reaching initiatives to address climate change.
After receiving the award, we hope the Prime Minister will become more concerned about the environmental condition in our country, which is heading towards a disastrous outcome.
We learned that under her leadership the Bangladesh Constitution was amended in 2011 to include a constitutional directive to the State to protect the environment and natural resources for current and future generations, prioritized in the Constitution along with wetlands and wildlife.
But what a great disappointment, these directives remained only in the constitution, the actual picture is the opposite. When people of the whole country are protesting the building of Rampal power plant and South Asian human rights activists urging the government to suspend construction of Rampal Plant near Sunderbans as it will wreak havoc, destroy the world heritage, A huge number of families will be displaced and many more destructive incidents will occur.
The ELA report admitted that the project would expose people of surrounding areas to pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses.
Referring to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s winning the “Champions of the Earth” award, Prof Anu Muhammad said “The award would become a burden for her if this project goes on destroying the Sundarbans.”
Therefore, PM Sheikh Hasina should give importance to the award and uphold its sanctity.

Nur Jahan
Chittagong