\\\'Govt indifferent towards protection of Sundarbans\\\'

A BNP committee investigating the oil spill in Sundarban’s Shela river has alleged that the government is indifferent towards the concern of foreign donors over the impact on the world’s largest mangrove forest. After a visit to the Sundarbans in Begerhat district, head of the committee M Hafizuddin Ahmed spoke to journalists on Monday. ‘Though foreign donor agencies are worried and are interested in protection of the Sundarbans, the government is indifferent (to it). Rather, they (government) are taking one step after another to ruin the forest.’ Oil tanker ‘OT Southern Star 7’, with over 358,000 litres of furnace oil, sank in the Shela River on Dec 9 after being hit by a cargo vessel. The oil spilled across a vast swathe of the Sundarbans. BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia formed the 7-member committee on Dec 20. Hafiz claimed that the capsized vessel was a sand-carrier and said: ‘It’s astonishing that dangerous fuel was being carried on such a vessel. If the government had any interest in the Sundarbans, such incident would not have happened,’ according to a news agency.