Bangladesh's two kidneys. One is the financial sector, the other is the energy sector. Both have been eaten by the previous government, said prominent economist and honorary fellow of private research institute CPD, Debapriya Bhattacharya.

He made this comment at a seminar titled 'Policy Dialogue on Financial and Economic Reforms in Bangladesh' in Mohakhali, the capital, on Saturday (November 16) afternoon.

Stating that there were serious problems in the data on GDP growth and development that the previous government gave us, this prominent economist said that the previous government has politicized the data.

He said, we are in the middle income trap. If the state is not repaired, there will be no benefit in making two-penny reforms. If economic stability is not brought, it is not possible to move forward on the path of reforms. He believes that people will not have the patience.

The CPD Honorary Fellow also commented that even after economic stability is achieved, there will be no possibility of progress if reforms are not implemented quickly.

Foreign Affairs Adviser to the interim government Touhid Hossain said, adding that Bangladesh has not received the expected support from its neighbors in the repatriation of Rohingya refugees.

He said this while addressing the Center for Governance Studies (CGS) conference at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the capital on Saturday (November 16) morning.

Tauhid Hossain said, “In the last eight years, we have not received the support we expected from our neighbors, our big neighbors.”

Explaining the geopolitical complexities, the Foreign Affairs Adviser said, “The question arises, why is China not coming forward to solve the problem on behalf of Bangladesh? Because Myanmar is very important to them for the Bay of Bengal. Similarly, India also feels that the Kaladan project is important and it is necessary to maintain good relations with Myanmar for this project.”

The Kaladan Road Project connects Kolkata in eastern India with the Sittwe seaport in Myanmar’s Rakhine State by sea. Touhid Hossain said that Bangladesh is caught in a vortex of competing geopolitical interests.

The foreign affairs adviser said, I am not blaming anyone, everyone looks after their own interests. But it does not seem to be in line with our interests on the Rohingya issue and because of this the matter has been prolonged and there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

Stating that he does not think that the Rohingya problem will be solved very quickly and easily, Touhid Hossain said, but one thing I would like to mention here is that if this problem is not solved, it will become a problem for the rest of the world.

Highlighting the growing concern about the future of the Rohingya youth, the adviser said, it cannot be that the young generation, who have no hope for the future, will sit idly and watch what others are doing. There will come a time when they will become a serious problem not only for Bangladesh but also for our neighbors and other countries.

Due to unplanned industrialization and urbanization, Gazipur, one of the economically important districts of the country, has become an example of environmental degradation in Bangladesh in the last two decades. During this time, 60 percent of the area has been deforested and 50 percent of the water bodies have been occupied and used for other purposes.

A recent study has highlighted these data.

In 2000, the forest area of Gazipur was 39,943 hectares. In 2023, it decreased to 16,174 hectares. That is, the forest area has decreased by 59.51 percent in two decades. 

At the same time, the area of water bodies has decreased by 51.42 percent. In 2000, the water bodies were 11,462 hectares. In 2023, it has decreased to 5,568 hectares.

The study titled ‘Environmental Status of Gazipur District: Consequences and Journey’ was conducted by the Bangladesh River Foundation, Nature and Life Foundation and Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) in collaboration with the River and Delta Research Center.

According to the criteria, 20-25 percent forest area and 7-14 percent water bodies should be maintained. But now Gazipur has only 9.49 percent forest area and 3.27 percent water bodies.

The report said that a large number of people in Gazipur are moving from villages to urban areas. Due to this, the urban population growth rate is 10.51 percent, while the rural population has decreased by 2.05 percent.

People have left villages and moved to cities mainly due to industrial employment. Now 61.52 percent of the working age population is working in various industries. The number of industrial areas has more than doubled between 2000 and 2023.

This increase in industries is one of the reasons for the encroachment of forests and water bodies. At the same time, it has increased the level of pollution.

In 2000, 23.44 percent of the district's land was forest, 6.73 percent water bodies, 50.21 percent settlements, 5.21 percent industrial areas, 10.21 percent agricultural areas, and 3.19 percent open space.

By 2023, these figures had changed significantly. At that time, the settlement area had increased to 65.83 percent and industrial areas to 8.73 percent. In contrast, the amount of forest area had decreased to 9.49 percent, water bodies to 3.27 percent, agricultural areas to 11.92 percent, and open space to 0.77 percent.

In the last two decades, about 23,769 acres or 59.5 percent of the forest area in Gazipur has disappeared due to uncontrolled development. Rivers, canals, and wetlands, essential to Gazipur's ecosystem and economy, are under serious threat due to pollution and encroachment.

The study identified 247 major encroachments and 161 active pollution points in major water bodies including the Turag, Labanda, Tongi, Mogar and Chilai rivers.

The Turag River is severely polluted due to industrial waste from Marcus Bill. The Labanda River is filled with waste from plastic processing factories, 15 pourashava waste lines and 39 visible industrial waste lines.

The Mogar Canal has also been severely affected by encroachment. 34 incidents, including initial commercial activities and soil filling, have been recorded. Illegal brick kilns on the banks of the Turag River have increased pollution and encroachment, further complicating the situation.

Meanwhile, traditional livelihoods such as farming and fishing are facing increasing threats. The study recommends urgent action by the municipal and national authorities to address the environmental crisis in Gazipur.

Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan, adviser to the interim government, said, ‘Let us not forget those whose blood enabled us to speak freely in a fascist-free Bangladesh and dream of rebuilding the country.’

He said this while inaugurating a playground for children with special needs named after Shaheed Farhan Fayyaz of the July Revolution on the west side of the Jatiyo Sangsad building on Saturday (November 16) morning.

Adviser Asif Mahmud said, naming this playground as a small effort to ensure that the people of Bangladesh do not forget the martyrs. However, it will never be possible to pay the price for the blood sacrifice, but we are trying to show as much respect and honor as we can.

He said, due to lack of time, it may not be possible to make the subject of the July Uprising so visible in the 2025 textbook. However, there will be a chapter on the July Uprising where the memoirs of the martyrs will be written.

He also said, we have a plan to highlight the memories of the uprising in the new textbook next year so that our next generation can know.

Stating that initiatives have been taken to build stadiums in more than 220 upazilas, the adviser said, each stadium will be named after the martyrs in that upazila.

He said, this dedicated playground is for children and teenagers with special needs. Dhaka is already a densely populated city and there are not enough facilities to play normally. Despite that, we have tried to ensure that there is a dedicated playground for children with special needs.

Sports adviser Asif said, there are many tournaments for people with special needs in the world. Bangladeshi children can also participate there and bring honor to the country, so we have instructed the federations.

Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Md. Rezaul Maksud Zahedi presided over the program, and Secretary of the Jatiya Sangsad  Secretariat Dr. Md. Anwar Ullah, Shaheed Farhan Fayaz's father Shahidul Islam Bhuiyan and mother Farhana Diba, among others were present.