Rajshahi Correspondent:

Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) has submitted a memorandum demanding urgent government intervention to address the escalating environmental crisis in Rajshahi.

The memorandum was handed over on Sunday morning to Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner (DC) Afia Akhtar, to be forwarded to two key government advisers.

The appeal was directed to Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, Adviser to Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives.

In its memorandum, BAPA expressed deep concern over Rajshahi’s deteriorating environmental conditions, which it said have worsened due to unplanned urban expansion, waterbody encroachment, mismanaged waste disposal and rising air pollution.

Once known as a green and clean city, Rajshahi is now facing serious public health risks exacerbated by excessive use of battery-run auto-rickshaws, chemical fertilizers, plastic waste and a crumbling drainage system.

BAPA also raised alarms over the looming water crisis in the region, particularly with the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty of 1996 set to expire in 2026.

Failure to renew this treaty, combined with increased groundwater extraction and poor waterbody management, could accelerate desertification and environmental degradation in the region.

As part of their demands, BAPA called for the immediate implementation of North Rajshahi Irrigation Project, modernization of waste management systems, conservation of waterbodies, improved water resource governance and the development of an integrated, eco-friendly urban masterplan.

The memorandum was submitted by a delegation including BAPA Rajshahi unit President Jamat Khan, central committee member Afzal Hossain, former student leader Samrat Raihan, women’s rights activist Selina Begum, journalist Helen Khan, businessman Golam Nabi Roni and engineer Anisur Rahman, among others.