On the 143rd day of its ongoing sit-in protest, the Bangladesh Tree Protection Movement (Bangladesh Gachh Raksha Andolon) on Monday sent a letter to the interim government chief adviser seeking an independent commission to probe over the demand to cancel the proposed link road of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway from FDC to Palashi.
The movement鈥檚 coordinator Amirul Rajib sent the letter to the chief adviser, adviser for Road Transport and Bridges, the adviser for Housing and Public Works, and the adviser for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change and others concerned, urging immediate intervention.
The platform called for the protection of Panthakunja Park and Hatirjheel, which are threatened by the project, and the formation of an independent investigation commission to probe alleged violations, mismanagement, public suffering, and corruption associated with the Elevated Expressway project.
It alleged that the construction of the link road would lead to the destruction of vital green and water spaces such as Panthakunja Park and Hatirjheel, undermining both environmental sustainability and urban livability.
It also accuses the project of violating national laws, engaging in irregularities, and causing numerous injuries and public hardships through poor planning and execution.
Activists demanded the cancellation of what they call an 鈥榓nti-people, anti-nature鈥� road project and urged the government to investigate the elevated expressway project as a whole.
Green activists said that the project鈥檚 approach has been marked by authoritarianism, disregard for public consultation, and severe environmental impacts.
