HC seeks documents on Jamuna River narrowing project

The High Court has ordered the Bangladesh Water Development Board to submit all documents on the Jamuna River narrowing project within 10 days.

The High Court bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Mohammad Mahbub ul Islam passed the order on Sunday after a preliminary hearing on a writ petition filed in the public interest.

Advocate Manzil Morshed moved for the writ petitioner while Assistant Attorney General Abul Kalam Khan Daud appeared for the state.

Earlier, Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) filed a writ in the High Court attaching a media report, published on a national daily.

The report stated that the Bangladesh Water Development Board was planning to narrow the width of Jamuna from 15km to 6.5km, utilising a technology known as Top Blocked Permeable Groyne (TBPG), without conducting a feasibility study.

The report said the World Bank-funded project aims to safeguard river banks while reclaiming land.

Advocate Manzil Morshed said, "Government officials are planning to cut down the Jamuna River's width in the name of development. The Water Development Board's responsibility is to protect rivers. But they are planning to narrow it down.

"This river plays a crucial role in the survival of farmers, fishermen, and rural people. Proceeding with the project would disrupt the natural balance in respective areas," he said.

The writ has been filed seeking the High Court's intervention in the project, Manzil said, adding that the court will consider all the project documents and give an appropriate order in 10 days.

According to media reports, the Water Development Board prepared the project proposal amounting to Tk 1,110 crore.

The Ministry of Water Resources sent the proposed project titled "Sustainable Infrastructure for Jamuna River Bank Protection and Risk Mitigation" to the Planning Commission.