Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has said the government does not tolerate any form of mob violence.
She made the statement on Saturday afternoon, while speaking to journalists after inaugurating a mass tree-planting campaign organized by the district administration at the Savar upazila parishad field.
“The government has consistently made its stance clear — mob violence is not tolerated under any circumstances. These incidents may have occurred, but there is no involvement of the government,” said Rizwana Hasan.
“Over the past three to four months, wherever such incidents took place, the accused have been arrested,” she added.
When asked about waterlogging in Savar, the adviser pointed out that restoring 14 canals and one large water body could significantly improve the situation.
“Time is short, but we’ve already begun work on 20 canals and the Turag River in Dhaka. We’ve managed funding, and work has started. Work on the Turag may begin by February at the latest,” she said.
She added: “As for Savar, we’ve prioritized a canal called Karnopara Khal, which has been listed. We won’t be able to recover or clean every canal, but we want to at least initiate the process in a sustainable way.”
Addressing questions about illegal brick kilns, she said: “We’ve taken strong action against illegal operations. A large number of illegal brick kilns in Savar have been demolished. Perhaps never before have this many illegal kilns been shut down.”
She added: “I can’t give you a report covering the past two and a half years, but in the last 11 months we’ve done far more than what our enforcement capacity allows.”
She also said: “Many of the licences for these kilns are set to expire between June and August. Only six to eight licences will remain valid until early next year. We don’t see any justification for renewal.”
Regarding the environmental hazards from the Savar tannery estate, she acknowledged it as an issue under her ministry but said the Ministry of Industries has been designated as the lead agency.
She said: “The Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) under BSCIC (Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation) has not been effective due to various limitations. There is no alternative but to take it away from BSCIC and construct a new CETP.”
“From our side, we’ve provided support by arranging enclosed flooring for proper solid waste management,” she explained.
On enforcement by the Department of Environment, she said: “In many cases, actions are not taken due to internal issues. Sometimes we simply don’t have the manpower.”
She added: “In some places, there are only four staff. We have to coordinate and focus enforcement seasonally — July to September for factories, and December for brick kilns.”
The tree-planting event, aimed at planting 100,000 saplings in a single day in Savar, was presided over by Deputy Commissioner Tanvir Ahmed. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Abubakar Sarkar and Dhaka Divisional Commissioner Saraf Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury attended as special guests.
Welcoming the initiative, the adviser said: “Many hesitate to come forward with bold initiatives to protect the Buriganga River.”
She added: “If the landfills at Aminbazar and Matuail are not permanently closed, Dhaka’s air will never be pollution-free — in fact, it will worsen. Rising temperatures are linked to the declining number of trees. There is no alternative to tree planting for environmental protection.”
She later distributed saplings among students and planted a tree on the upazila compound to mark the start of the campaign.
When asked about the recent killing of a Jubo Dal leader through mob violence, Rizwana Hasan declined to comment, saying that she would only respond to questions related to environmental issues.
