Staff Correspondent:

The government has repeatedly made its position clear: mob justice will not be tolerated in any form, said Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on Saturday (July 12).

“The recent incidents bear no connection to the government or the ruling party. In the last three to four months, wherever such incidents occurred, we ensured the prompt arrest of those involved. None of the accused have managed to evade justice,” she told reporters after inaugurating the “Better Dhaka District Initiatives” programme in Savar, organised by the Dhaka District Administration.

As part of the initiative, the Savar Upazila Administration undertook a campaign to plant 100,000 saplings in a day under the slogan “Let Savar thrive in green, dreams soar in blue skies.”

On restoring canals and rivers, she said, “Our timeframe is short, but we have already taken up 20 canals in Dhaka, along with the Turag River. We expect restoration work on the Turag to begin soon — hopefully by February.”

Commenting on illegal brick kilns, she said, “Illegal brick kilns are facing stern enforcement actions. Most licences will expire between June and August, and I do not foresee any scope for renewal.”

On tannery waste, she added, “The Ministry of Industries is responsible for the Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP), but inefficiencies have stalled it.”