No commercial establishment can be set up in CRB by destroying the nature of life
Hossain Mintu:
The Bangladesh Environmental Protection Movement (BAPSA) has organized a sit-in protest and human chain against the attempt to build a commercial facility in the name of the hospital by destroying the nature of the CRB. The program was held at 9:30 am on August 4 at the corner of Chittagong CRB Satarasta under the chairmanship of Bapsa Metropolitan President Mohammad Salahuddin and General Secretary Sajjad Hossain Bhuiyan. Secretary General of the People’s Rights Forum M.A. was present as the chief guest. Hashem Raju. Veteran politician Abu Mohammad Hossain Chowdhury, President of People’s Rights Forum Chittagong Metropolitan and Alamgir Noor, Central Chairman of Civil Rights and Environment Protection Movement spoke as special guests. The keynote speaker was Noman Ullah Bahar, General Secretary of Eco Friends and President of SDG Youth Forum. Bapsa vice-president Abdul Mannan, Akhtar Hossain, vice-general secretary Abdullah Al Noman Jihad and others spoke.

The speakers said that CRB is the only natural open space for natural oxygen production center in Chittagong metropolis. This CRB commemorates the great war of independence of undivided Bengal which started in 1930 under the leadership of Master Da Suryasen. This CRB commemorates the graves and sacred memories of more than two hundred freedom fighters including GS Abdur Rob, the first GS of Shaheed Chaksur in the great liberation war of 1971. It is the main cultural center of Chittagong metropolis. Despite the declaration of CRB as a specially controlled area and cultural and environmental protected area in the 1995 Master Plan and 2009 Detailed Area Plan (DAP), initiatives have been taken to set up a commercial facility in the area in the name of hospital which will completely destroy the lifeblood of CRB. There will be no commercial establishment in the name of the hospital in the lung-like CRB of Chittagong, will not be allowed to be. This metropolis does not have enough open space like Dhaka which is very necessary for a balanced city. However, the only natural open space in the Chittagong metropolis, CRB, is being destroyed and the lungs of the metropolis are being cut off. This malpractice will not be allowed to succeed in any way. The construction of this commercial installation on the graves of the martyrs of the great liberation war is tantamount to contempt of the liberation war and the best children of the nation. It is not unknown to the people of Chittagong why the CRB was chosen to build the hospital when there was so much space for the railways.

The speakers further said, “We want a hospital, but not in the CRB and adjoining areas, but somewhere else.” Ignoring the demands and opinions of 6 million people of Chittagong, there will be no commercial establishment in CRB by destroying the nature of life by showing thumbs up to the master plan and DAP. For this, a mass movement will be formed irrespective of race, religion and party affiliation.