Buriganga at guillotine

Recently I had been to the old part of the city. While passing through Kamrangir Char and Keranigonj area sitting on the back of a motor bike, I enjoyed the sites of different places of south Dhaka. Slices of roads pass the city like a curving snake. Hazardous structures of old buildings charmed me though it might create danger any time. As we passed a small bridge I noticed that we reached at Kamrangir Char. The narrow canal underneath the bridge we crossed was the glorious Buriganga. I was simply taken aback seeing the present condition of the famous river Buriganga which was once known as the Thames of Bangla. Few minutes later we reached at the centre point of Buriganga where it separated the Dhaka city, Keranigonj and Kamrangir Char. Dwellers at all the three sides have been grabbing  the river.

Most miserable point to mention is that the river is linked to the drainage system of the capital city Dhaka. In the stinky-black polluted water, women and children were seen taking bath at different points of the river.

If steps are not taken immediately to save the Buriganga, it may one day become  dead. We talk of environment and conservation of nature. But how can we allow the death of our rivers? Many of us speak against land grabbers, but dare not resist them. If we fail to resist the river grabbers, what fate awaits us only time can say. Are the unscrupulous river grabbers more powerful than the state? If not, why can not the state crush the dirty hands of the Buriganga grabbers?

Mozaharul Islam

Rupali Bank Ltd, Dhaka.