বুড়িগঙ্গার পাশাপাশি এবার দখলদারদের কবলে পড়েছে রাজধানীর মোহাম্মদপুরের বসিলা খাল। পড়ুন- The low-lying areas in the out-skirts of Dhaka city and vast areas of Mohammadpur, Hajaribag and Gabtali are being grabbed by different developers for constructing high rising building posing a threaten to environment. The developers and vested quarters have been grabbing lands of the Buriganga River and Basila canal and also at Kamrangir Char, Keraniganj, Basila, Mohamadpur, Hajaribag and Gabtali. After taking possession of the lands, these quarters are filling up the low-lying lands with earth and sands and developing plots. The government’s initiatives to save the rivers, canals and water-logged areas from grabbing have so far failed in the face of resistance from political quarters. The environmentalists and planners apprehended that thus encroachment of the rivers and canals would create the chronic water-logging problem on the eastern side of the city during monsoon. A group of environment workers and leaders of Save the Environment Movement led by its chairman Abu Naser Khan visited the bank of Buriganga River and Basila canal. They formed a human chain in protest of illegal grabbing of the Buriganga River and Basila canal. Abdul Kuddus Boyati, chairman of Nirapad Foundation Ibnul Said Rana, Sagiruzzaman Sakik, Saiful Islam Suvan, Tawfikur Rahman Sentu, among others participated in the programme. Abdul Kuddus Boyati and his team sang songs for creating awareness among the people about the negative impacts of the illegal encroachment of rivers and canals. Abu Naser Khan said that the different land developers with the support of vested quarters are grabbing the lands illegally. The past BNP government did not stop this practice. The present AL government is also ineffective in checking these activities, he noted. He said that out of total 47 canals in Dhaka city, only 22 now exist. The filling up the canals has been obstructing from flow of water.