State Minister Farhad vows to reclaim Rupganj canals

RUPGANJ, NARAYANGANJ, Aug 11: The canals in Rupganj will be fully re-excavated and restored even if they are currently occupied by leaders and activists of the ruling party, State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad said on Tuesday.
He made the remarks while inspecting waterlogged areas around Canal No. 5 in Golakandail Union of the upazila in the afternoon. He also visited the Jatramura and Rupshi Swiss Gate areas under Tarabo Municipality.
“Rupganj is supposed to be a place of beauty, but the current situation makes it seem that no development work was carried out here in the past,” the state minister said.
He alleged that the previous “fascist” government had been busy looting during its tenure and claimed that around five lakh people in the areas were suffering from water-logging because five people had occupied the canals.
“We will work for the five lakh people. We will take whatever steps are necessary to recover the canals from those five people,” he said, urging local residents to cooperate with the government.
“We will start work to recover the canals within the next two or three days with your cooperation,” he added.
The state minister also said canal excavation in Bangladesh was first initiated under the leadership of the late Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman.
“Later, the fascists came to power and halted canal excavation projects. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the worthy son of martyred President Ziaur Rahman, has resumed the initiative. Inshallah, people across the country will soon begin to benefit from it,” he said.
Among others, Narayanganj-1 MP Mostafizur Rahman Bhuiyan Dipu, former general secretary of Narayanganj District BNP Golam Faruk Khokon, Upazila BNP Convener Advocate Mahfuzur Rahman, Member Secretary Bachir Uddin Bachchu, District BNP members Anwar Sadat Sayem and Ashraful Haque Ripon, Golakandail Union BNP President Aziz Master, General Secretary Abdul Matin and Upazila Jubo Dal Acting Convener Aminul Islam Prince were present.