DHAKA  – Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan today said a total of 220 kilometer walkways would be built on riversides surrounding the capital in phases.

“We will evict illegal structures from the banks of rivers Buriganga, Shitalakkhya and the Balu and will build 52 kilometer walkways on the riversides at first to make sure that these banks don’t get occupied in the future again. We will also install 10,820 durable border pillars afresh to mark the banks of the rivers,” Khan said.

The minister said these while addressing a ceremony to lay foundations of walkway, river border pillars, eco-park and jetty on Ashulia Landing Station premises today.

Urging all to work jointly to protect rivers, stopping occupying lands of rivers and river pollution, Shajahan Khan said, “Rivers are the life of Bangladesh and the country would not exist if the rivers are gone.”

Apart from building 52 kilometer walkways, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) is going to construct 44,783 meters of river bank protection, 1,000 meters of key-wall, RCC jetty with 19 RCC steps, three eco-
parks and install 10,820 river border pillars under a four-year project at a cost of Taka 845.55 crore.

Presided over by Chairman of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Commodore Mohammad Mozammel Haque, the ceremony was addressed, among others, by local lawmaker Sahara Khatun, project director Nurul Amin, Awami League leaders Md Afsaruddin, Md Nasir and Md Barek.