A memorandum has been submitted to the farmers’ assembly in Moulvibazar and the finance adviser, agriculture adviser and environment adviser demanding the implementation of the nine-point demand of the Kauadighi Haor Raksha Andolan, including the waiver of agricultural loan of 20 (twenty) thousand taka, interest waiver on agricultural loan of more than that taka, providing free fertilizers, seeds, pesticides and a permanent solution to the flood problem.

On the afternoon of October 7, the convenor of the Kawadighi Haor Raksha Andolan, A.স.The function was addressed, among others, by AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Organizing Secretaries Ahmad Hossain and Misbah Uddin Siraj and former Sylhet City Mayor Badar Uddin Ahmad Kamran with Moulvibazar district AL President Principal Md Abdus Shahid, MP, in the chair. Dignitaries from different walks of life of Moulvibazar district were present on the occasion.

The speakers said the extent of damage in Moulvibazar district is very high due to the recent severe floods. The farmers have lost their crops. Some houses were damaged. The cause of annual floods in Moulvibazar district is not only natural, but the main cause is man-made. Unscrupulous looters are responsible for development, leasing and encroaching on the Haor-Bil-River without taking the opinion of the stakeholders, ignoring the rules and regulations prevailing in the area, destroying our life and nature due to pollution, and looting the allocation of Manu River governance and mining. The land-grabbing industrialists have already bought thousands of acres of agricultural land in Gan Haor. It is heard that there will be various kinds of industrial factories by filling the air, creating life and nature. Farmers and businessmen are also troubled. That is why we have been fighting to protect the rights of the people for a long time under the banner of Kawadighi Haor Raksha Andolan. The contribution of marginal farmers, sharecroppers and fishermen to the economy of Bangladesh is remarkable. Therefore, the government should accept the demands of rehabilitating the farmers affected by the recent floods.

The committee’s demands are as follows:

1. (a)  Urgent demand – In the current financial year, the agricultural loan of 20 (twenty) thousand taka should be waived off and the interest on agricultural loan of more than 20 (twenty) thousand should be completely waived off.

(b) The Bureau shall provide free fertilizer seed pesticides before the season.

(c) Demands for a permanent solution to the flood problem of Moulvibazar district, to be implemented in a phased manner through inter-departmental coordination of the government –

2. All the haors, haors and natural canals of Moulvibazar district, including the Kawadighi Haor, and the Manu, Kushiyara and Dhalai rivers should be dredged. Those who embezzled the money allocated for river governance, including the excavation of the Manu River, during the autocratic government in the last fiscal year should be brought under trial and punishment.

3. Freshwater fish sanctuaries should be built in haors. The lease of Shalakatua and Fatasingra Beel of Kawadighi Haor should be cancelled and declared a fish sanctuary. In order to preserve the fish species, the drying-fishing system in government leased bills and private ownership bills should be abolished. Abolishing the lease system and introducing the license system among the genuine fishermen as a method of extracting fish should be considered.

4. Solar power plants should not be set up in places where biodiversity and life-nature of haors are harmed. No industrial units can be set up. A member of the Haor Raksha Andolan Committee should be appointed as a representative of the people in the district level committee to take any decision regarding the bill lease of the haor, the development of agriculture, the water distribution of the Manu Irrigation Project and the haor.

5. The encroached government lands, rivers and canals should be restored. The entire project, including the rehabilitation of the Manusach project, has to be made environmentally friendly.

6. The lease of the rivers – Lasnadi, Kangla, Machukhali, Burijuri and Dhalidhara – of the Haor should be stopped and their leases cancelled. A switch gate has to be constructed at the Gawali creek of the Laas river and the Kali Ghar canal towards Kushiyara.

7. Initiatives should be taken to save the haor by forming a ‘haor taskforce’ in coordination with the government institutions associated with the haor.

8. At least 7 ‘fissipass’ gates should be constructed at the appropriate places of the Beri Dam of the Kushiyara River of the Manu Irrigation Project (at the mouth of the natural river-canal that enters the Haor from the river) to allow the fish of the Kawadighi Haor to enter freely.

9. The culvert constructed on the Rajnagar-Balaganj road passing through the middle of the haor should be removed and a new bridge should be constructed and the vaccine company and the concerned engineer should be punished for corruption in the construction of the said culvert.

10. Unplanned developments that hinder the flow of water in the harbor and the free movement of fish should not be allowed or built. To enhance agricultural activity in the union’s northern region, arrangements should be made to dig canals in Kalamua, Longu, Marua, and Khaliabari as a priority.