BNP Senior Joint Secretary General and Adviser to the Prime Minister Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Monday alleged that the severity of floods in different parts of the country and the resulting loss of lives were consequences of unplanned development and environmentally harmful infrastructure projects undertaken during the Awami League government.
Speaking at a press conference at the BNP's central office in Capital's Nayapaltan, Rizvi said the previous AL government's development approach ignored environmental realities and natural water flow, leading to recurring natural disasters.
“The deaths caused by the floods are the result of the Awami League government's unplanned management. By obstructing the natural flow of nature in the name of development projects, they created today's severe flood situation in different parts of the country,” he said.
Rizvi said any development project should consider climate-related issues, environmental impacts and whether rivers, canals, wetlands and other natural water bodies would be affected.
A democratic and accountable government would examine whether projects could trigger natural disasters, worsen waterlogging or contribute to severe droughts, but the previous AL government did not because, he claimed, it was focused on looting public money and facilitating money laundering.
“The previous government spoke about development, but their development was aimed at looting and siphoning off money. They never considered what could cause natural disasters, how people could become trapped in waterlogging, or how the country could face devastating drought,” he said.
Referring to infrastructure built in the haor region, Rizvi criticised the construction of roads through wetlands, including a road built through a haor to facilitate access to the residence of former President Abdul Hamid.
He said such projects have contributed to untimely floods, crop losses and widespread suffering.
He alleged that during its nearly 17 years in power, the Awami League government pursued such projects primarily to benefit party-linked contractors and enrich its leaders.
He also criticised the establishment of the Rampal coal-fired power plant, saying environmental experts had repeatedly warned that it could damage the Sundarbans, which he described as the country's principal natural source of oxygen.
“Experts repeatedly warned that coal-based power generation there would damage the Sundarbans. But the fascist government ignored those warnings to satisfy a particular foreign country,” he alleged.
He added that reports now indicate the Sundarbans is under environmental stress and that many species of birds, wildlife and plants are disappearing.