When a section of unscrupulous people including some politically influenced people had grabbed a portion of once mighty Kumar River in Harinakundu upazila portion of Jhenaidah, the river turned to dead one as the marine route lost its navigability for years together. The fishermen community people were the worst sufferers and lost their four-father’ profession in catching fish.
But the newly joined deputy commissioner (DC) Manira Begum had visited the river site and talked to the people including fishermen and local administration to rescue the same from the clutch of the illegal grabbers at no delay, said upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Syeda Nafis Sultana.
UNO said the influential grabbers had made the river banks Baor and constructed dams at places at Riskhali, Sonatonpur, Bhuiyapara and Bherakhali illegally while the name of the river was stated in government’s all records like SA, RS and other records. She said some Janata Matsyajibi Samabaya Samity had prepared fake documents and shown it as baor. But the said association belongs to a number of non-profession people including teachers, businessmen and political personalities who were not involved in fish farming and selling at all. They have managed smart cards favouring them and collecting several lakh Taka every year leasing the river. The evil section of people had constructed four dams at various points on two kilometre long river leaving about 120 houses under erosion threat, UNO said.
During the visit the deputy commissioner had talked t the fishermen and advised the upazila administration to remove the illegal encroachers on the river at no delay. Harinakundu police station officer in charge Abdur Rahim Mollah, upazila agriculture officer Hafiz Hasan and some other upazila level officers were present.
