Syeda Rizwana Hasan, an advisor to the Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, expressed concern about the country’s current trajectory during a press briefing following the 55th meeting of the River Research Institute’s board in Faridpur on January 27. She emphasized that instead of focusing on building the nation, the country is currently caught in conflicts, which is detrimental to everyone, particularly the student community. Rizwana urged students to remember the importance of maintaining peace and supporting the democratic path now that fascism has been pushed out.
Addressing the ongoing student protests, Rizwana stated that the government agencies are investigating the situation to determine if the protests were instigated or if there were alternative ways to mediate the issue. She urged all citizens to exercise patience and calm, emphasizing that the path to democracy is difficult but should not be derailed by intolerance.
She also discussed the critical issue of river conservation, lamenting the gradual deterioration of many rivers in the country due to issues like navigability and sand extraction. Rizwana called for more government support for vital research institutions like the River Research Institute and mentioned efforts to increase budget allocations for such organizations, despite current budget limitations.
Liberty News’ local correspondent reports that Rizwana further pointed out the ongoing challenges of river encroachment by influential individuals and called for better cooperation between the government and research institutions to address these issues.
LND/BG
