Controversial Jamuna River Project: HC dismisses writ petition

The High Court on Monday dismissed a writ petition seeking action against those involved in a project that would narrow the Jamuna River.

The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Muhammad Mahbub Ul Islam passed the order after the court was informed that the project had been cancelled.

Advocate Manzill Murshid stood for the petitioner while Advocate Arbind Kumar stood for the Water Development Board and Assistant Attorney General Abul Kalam Khan Daud represented the state.

On Sunday, the authorities concerned informed the court that there is no plan to implement the project involving the Jamuna River. The court then fixed Monday for the next hearing.

On March 12, a report titled "Water Resources Ministry wants to shrink the Jamuna River' published in a national daily.

According to the report, "Every year Januna is getting bigger and during the rainy season, the length of the river becomes 15 to 20 kilometres. That's why the authorities concerned have planned to shrink it to 6.5 kilometres from its width and they have taken a project of Tk 1100 crore."

As the news spread, experts said that such a project will be suicidal. They said if the government implements the scheme, there is a risk of changing the course of the river, causing severe flooding.  Besides, once the project is implemented, the two big bridges of the country over the Padma and Jamuna rivers will also be affected.

A human rights organisation had filed the writ petition by attaching the news report.