Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has assured that the joint forces will take prompt action following the attack on a temporary police camp by pirates in Munshiganj’s Gazaria. The statement came during the inauguration of the Shubaddya Khal re-excavation project in Keraniganj, Dhaka, on Tuesday morning.
On Monday, pirates opened fire on police officers patrolling the temporary camp in Gazaria. The police retaliated with gunfire, leading to a nearly 30-minute exchange of shots between both parties.
Adviser Jahangir Alam said, “The joint forces will act swiftly in response to the attack on the police camp in Gazaria with looted weapons.” He also warned, “Land grabbers will not be spared under any circumstances. In the Shubaddya Khal area, the number of land grabbers is relatively high, and therefore, we must all come together to resist them. Land grabbers will be harshly dealt with, and if necessary, they will be kept in local jails.”
He called for local resistance against the encroachment and pollution of the canals, urging the public to act.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, revealed that the cost of the re-excavation project had been reduced from Tk 1,700 crore to Tk 317 crore. This revision was made to ensure savings and efficiency in the project.
She explained that the once-vibrant Shubaddya Khal was directly connected to the Buriganga River and was crucial for local agriculture, fish farming, and navigation. However, over the past two decades, encroachment, filling, illegal constructions, and waste disposal had almost stopped the flow of the canal. For most of the year, except during the monsoon, the canal had turned into a stinking drain.
Locals at the event urged the authorities to ensure that the recovery efforts are not hindered by political influence or negotiations.
The event was attended by senior officials including Mohammad Mokkabir Hossain, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources, Mohammad Ejaz, Administrator of Dhaka North City Corporation, and Major General Mu. Hasan-Uz-Zaman, Chief Engineer of the Army Corps.