Faruk Rahman, Satkhira: The Satkhira District Citizens’ Committee has demanded the formation of a Sundarbans Coastal Board and Ministry to ensure sustainable development of Satkhira district by eliminating the development disparity of fifty-five years and to combat climate change-related disasters.
A 21-point memorandum in this regard was submitted to the Prime Minister through Deputy Commissioner Ms. Kausar Azizi on Wednesday (June 3).
A delegation led by Advocate Sheikh Azad Hossain Belal, convener of the Satkhira District Citizens’ Committee, was present at the Deputy Commissioner’s office during the submission of the memorandum. Among others present at the meeting were Joint Member Secretary of the committee Alinur Khan Babu, Chairman Abdul Hamid, Ashek E Elahi, Advocate Asaduzzaman Dilu, General Secretary of the Kalaroa Citizens’ Committee Advocate Abdul Habibur Rahman Habib, Citizens’ Leaders Kishori Mohan Sarkar, Madhav Chandra Dutta, Sheikh Siddiqur Rahman, Comrade Abul Hossain, Senior Journalist M Kamruzzaman, Abdus Samad, Moniruzzaman, Advocate Moniruddin, Disabled Movement Leader Abul Kalam Azad and Revolutionary Workers’ Party Leader Baijid Hossain Hasan.
The leaders mentioned in the memorandum that Satkhira district is a self-sufficient region in food production. An average of 5 lakh metric tons of paddy, 28 thousand metric tons of shrimp for export abroad, 150 thousand metric tons of fish, about 2 lakh metric tons of milk, 2 lakh metric tons of winter vegetables, 75 thousand metric tons of mangoes and 15 thousand metric tons of kul are produced here annually.
In addition, an average of about 1 thousand crore taka revenue is generated annually from Bhomra land port and a huge amount of income comes from Sundarbans and fisheries resources.
However, despite making such an economic contribution, the district is constantly facing terrible natural disasters such as storms, tidal waves, river embankment erosion, waterlogging and salinity. As employment is shrinking due to climate change, the poverty rate in the district is increasing and many people are being forced to leave the area permanently and temporarily due to the lack of sustainable development. As a result, the population in the Satkhira municipal area is going beyond its carrying capacity.
The leaders of the Citizens’ Committee expressed the hope that the Honorable Prime Minister will immediately take effective steps to implement these 21-point demands, considering the overall economic contribution of Satkhira and to eliminate its geographical risks. Especially, urgent initiatives should be taken to repair the coastal embankments and resolve waterlogging before the next monsoon season.
The main demands of the Citizens’ Committee:
1. Formation of a Coastal Board: Declaring the Sundarbans coastal area a ‘disaster prone area’ and forming a “Sundarbans Coastal Board and Ministry” and making special allocations in the budget for sustainable development.
2. University of Science and Technology: The educational and academic activities of the Satkhira Science and Technology University should be started immediately from the next academic year (current session).
3. Railway line and communication system: The construction of the railway line from Satkhira to Munshiganj bus stand should be started immediately. In addition, the main road of the city should be upgraded to four lanes and the Mawa-Bhanga-Narail-Nabmukhi-Chuknagar-Satkhira road should be constructed to reduce the distance with Dhaka.
4. Bhomra Land Port: Complete the Bhomra Land Port and quickly launch the Basantapur River Port.
5. Health and Medicine: Fully launch Satkhira Medical College Hospital and establish a Cancer Research Center and develop the infrastructure of the district and upazila health complexes.
6. Agriculture and Cold Storage: Establish modern cold storage, storage and agricultural eco-village markets for the preservation of mangoes, kul, litchi and vegetables.
7. Tourism and Industry: Create multiple tourist spots within the Sundarbans and create alternative employment and IT parks to reduce dependence on the Sundarbans.
8. River and waterlogging: Determine the boundaries of the rivers and canals according to the CS map and evict illegal encroachers and restore the normal flow of the Kapotaksha, Betna and Morichchap rivers to eliminate waterlogging.
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