Academics and environmentalists on Friday at a discussion called on the interim government to take steps to save the country鈥檚 rivers.
Environmental organisation Noungar organised the discussion at the National Press Club in the capital Dhaka.
Nougar Trust chairman Suman Shams presided over the discussion.
Rights activist Anu Muhammad, also a former Jahangirnagar University professor, called on the interim government to take steps to save the country鈥檚 rivers.
Rivers are losing capacities of holding water due to sedimentation and banks of most of the rivers are occupied by land gravers, Anu said.
He said, 鈥業ndian government is responsible for floods in our country in the sense that the blocking of water flow by it results in sedimentation. In the name of development projects, we also have taken many projects that obstruct the flow of river water.鈥�
He called on the political parties to form a national unity to save the country鈥檚 rivers.
Suman Shams called on the government to declare May 23 as national river day.
He also demanded formation of a separate ministry to save rivers.
