The probe body formed by the BNP on the Sundarbans oil spill has blamed the government for damaging the ecology and biodiversity of the world's largest mangrove forest.
BNP leader and former minister Hafiz Uddin Ahmed presented the probe report in a press conference on Friday morning.
The body also suggested the government to stop plying all kinds of vessel movement in the Sundarbans through Sela River permanently to save the mangrove forest from further disaster.
It also demanded the re-introduction of previous navigation route Mongla-Ghoshiakhali and eviction of illegal embankments on the water-bodies to recur the navigability of the channel.
Oil tanker Southern Star 7 carrying around 358,000 litres of furnace oil, sank in the river at Mrigmari area under East Zone of the Sundarbans after being hit by a cargo vessel on December 09, causing a serious threat to the ecology of the mangrove forest.
The legal navigation route Mongla-Ghosiakhali has been suspended since 2011 due to siltation caused by establishment of unplanned embankment and commercial shrimp cultivation in the region by taking saline water from nearby rivers.
“The government has to bring the culprits responsible for the accident into book and realise compensation to avoid such kind of man-made disaster in the future,” the BNP leader added in a written statement.
Following the example of Indian West Bengal government to manage the Indian part of the Sundarbans, Bangladesh can create a separate independent body to manage the mangrove forest, the probe body also suggested.
In addition, the probe body criticised the government regarding not taking immediate action to remove spilled oil from the river which enhanced the damages to the forest ecology.
“The government failed to take any effective measures within 48 hours of the oil slick which ultimately increase the damage,” it said.
The probe body consists of several party leaders and civil society organisations visited the oil spill site on December 22.
