FE Report
Based on the party's own probe findings, BNP feared huge adverse impacts of the recent oil spill on the Sundarbans and recommended that the world's largest mangrove forest be declared a no-go area for both water vessels and heavy industrial ventures.
It is part of a six-point recommendation made by the investigation committee formed by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for fact finding on the oil-tanker capsize in the Shela River within the haunts of Sundarbans.
Stopping installation of the power plant in Rampal and other installations immediately and realization of compensation from the importer concerned for the damage done by the tanker accident are among the demands made by the former ruling party.
"Although the incident left huge impact on the world's largest mangrove forest in the Sundarbans, the government did not reveal the real extent of damage as well as the root cause of the disaster because of a minister's relation with owners of the oil tanker," said the probe body chief, Major (Rtd) Hafizuddin Ahmed, disclosing the findings at a press conference Friday.
He also demanded restoration of the Mongla-Ghoshiakhali channel, removal of all embankments and obstacles hindering free flow of the channel, strengthening scrutiny and stopping illegal entry into the Sundarbans and trial of the persons responsible for the "disaster".
The seven-member high-level probe body prepared the report after visiting the place of occurrence and its adjoining areas and based on the interviews and discussions with local people, public representatives and experts in the locality who observed the situation closely and experienced the impact directly.
They also monitored the overall activities of cleaning the spilled oil and assessed the environmental impacts of the oil-tanker accident. Earlier on December 20, the party formed the seven-member committee, led by Hafizuddin Ahmed, also a former water resources minister.
The MV OT Southern Star-7, carrying about 0.35 million litres of furnace oil, sank in the Shela of Sundarbans near Mongla earlier on December 9 after being rammed by a cargo vessel. The incident is assumed to have caused a serious threat to the existence of the mangrove forest and its natural resources due to the oil spill.
Shipping vessels, usually BIWTA ones, use the Shela River inside the Sundarbans as an alternative route after the closing of the Mongla-Ghoshiakhali channel to the local seaport.
The Ghashiakhali channel, used as India-Bangladesh water protocol route and maritime communications route for the country's southern region, was closed nearly three years ago after Mongla's Nala River and Rampal's Kumar River silted up.
The committee urged the government to permanently shut down the river route in the Shela and immediate restoration of the Mongla-Ghoshiakhali channel.
Also, it said, the government should stop the plying of vessels carrying incendiary materials inside the Sundarbans.
The BNP body in the probe report also demanded stopping installation of the power plant and ship-breaking industry within 25 kms of the Sundarbans.
"The oil tanker, which did not have fitness certificate, was carrying the lubricant illegally on unauthorized route," said Hafizuddin.
He further deplored that the government was dillydallying in disclosing the real cause, extent of damage done as the owners have a link to a minister.
Held at the BNP Chairperson's political office in the capital, the conference was attended, among others, by party acting secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and other seniors.
Other members of the probe body included former BNP lawmaker Nazrul Islam Manju, Khulna City Corporation Mayor Moniruzzaman Moni, environmental activist Sheikh Faridul Islam and Quamrul Islam Chowdhury, chairman of the Forum of Environmental Journalists, Bangladesh.
mzrbd@yahoo.com
