BAGERHAT, Jan 2 (UNB): River transport workers here on Friday threatened to wage a tough movement, including work abstention, from Tuesday if the Shela River route that goes through the Sundarbans is not reopened to vessel movement by Monday.
Bangladesh Noujan Sramik Federation, a platform of seven organisations of river transport workers, came up with the ultimatum from two separate rallies at Mongla and Sarankhola in the district.
Following an oil tanker crash in the river with about 357,000 (3.57 lakh) litres of furnace oil, the government on December 10 banned plying of all kinds of vessels through the route until further notice.
Oil spilled into a vast area of the world's largest mangrove forest following the capsize that affected the biodiversity, ecosystem and aquatic life of the Sundarbans.
A UN expert team on Wednesday recommended halting movement of water vessels through the Sundarbans to avert further environmental disasters.
Considering the environmental aspects, the movement of water vessels through the mangrove forest should not be continued, the UN team said while sharing the preliminary findings of the joint team of
UN-Bangladesh Mission to Sundarbans Oil Spill at a meet-the-press programme.
Addressing the rallies, federation general secretary Chowdhury Ashiqul Alam said hundreds of river vessels remained stranded in the Pashur River for the last three weeks due to imposition of a ban on
the vessel movement through the Shela River route.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) had been using the Shela River route for the last three years after the Mongla-Ghashiakhali channel lost its navigability, he added.
If the Shela River is not reopened for vessel movement by January 5, they would go for work abstention for an indefinite period from January 6, he said.
Bangladesh Noujan Sramik Federation acting president Shah Alam said some 5000-6000 river transport workers became unemployed due to suspension of the vessel movement through the Shela River.
He demanded that the river should be reopened to vessel movement again until the Mongla-Ghashiakhali channel is revived.
