‎Staff Correspondent, Khulna:
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The Lokoj and Maitree Farmers Federation urged the authorities concerned to declare all flowing rivers and canals in the Batiaghata and Dacope upazilas of Khulna district as open water bodies and to ensure their protection.
They also called upon the authorities to cancel the leases as irregularities have been found in these processes.
The demand lauded through a press conference held at Khulna Press Club on Thursday, where Bibhas Mandal, General Secretary of the Maitree Farmers Federation in a written statement said, they will go for tougher agitation, if their demands are not met shortly.
The event was chaired by the organisation’s president Rabindranath Mandal.
‎The speakers said agriculture, fishing, biodiversity and the rural economy in Batiaghata and Dacope depend on the natural flow of rivers and canals. However, allegations have surfaced that the flowing waterbodies are being leased out terming them as stagnated wetland that puts the livelihood of farmers, fishermen and local residents at risk.
The speakers called for an impartial investigation into the actual conditions of water bodies, including Amtala, Kharia, Batbunia, Barakhali, Chhotokharia, Morakharia, Gondhamari and Batiaghata canals in Batiaghata upazila.
In the press conference, the organizers claimed that during a public hearing held on July 17, they had submitted a request to the Deputy Commissioner to cancel the lease agreements and declare the water bodies as open public resources.‎
Although nets and barriers were subsequently removed, the speakers said the problem had not yet been resolved permanently.
‎They also demanded a fresh investigation to verify the legality over leasing process of flowing rivers and canals.
‎The speakers clarified that they were not opposed to lawful fisheries management. Rather, they wanted to ensure the natural flow of rivers and canals and guarantee free access to these water bodies to protect the legitimate rights of farmers, fishermen and the general public.
‎Among those present at the press conference were Lokoj Executive Director Deb Prasad Sarkar, Farmers Federation Vice-Presidents Dipti Rani Mallick and Ashalata Dhali, Joint General Secretary Fazlur Rahman Lavlu, Thakurdas Mandal, Shyamal Sarkar and Lokoj Coordinator Palash Das, who answered questions from journalists.