The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a view exchange meeting urged the government not to depend on foreign management and to use local technology for establishing Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) in the country.

The Department of Environment (DoE) has no experience about the ETP. There should have coordination between the DoE and the ETP authority commitee, speakers said.

The government should give importance on establishment of common ETP and set up of one ETP in industrial areas. "If the government sets up common ETP instead of small ETP, the cost will be reduced and beter services provided," they added. The view exchange meeting on 'Common Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) to be set up at Shyampur industrial area as a model' was jointly organised by Bangladesh Textile Dying and Printing Industries Association (BTDPIA) and Coalition of Local NGOs, Bangladesh (CLNB) at the National Press Club yesterday.

Lt Gen (Retd) M Mahbubur Rahman, former Army Chief, presided over the meeting, while Harun-ur-Rashid, Chairman of CLNB, moderated it Eng Shahidullah, leader of Movement for Protection of Oil-gas, Mineral Resources, Comrade Nurul Haque Mehedi, Saiful Islam Shishir, Executive Director of Gonoshasthya Kendra, Badrul Haque Maksud, President of BTDPIA, Syed Abul Maksud said the price hike could not be controlled, as most of the politicians were businessman during Awami League and BNP-Jamaat alliance rules.

Demanding subsidy for the agriculture sector he said the government should form a coordinated agriculture policy to reduce the suffering of the farmer.

Besides, former minister Sheikh Shahidul Islam, former MP GM Kader, eminent Scientist and Researcher AKM Khairul Anam, Barrister Turin Afroz, Sirajul Haque Khan, former Director of Bangladesh Jute Board, Abul Kalam Azad, former Joint Secretary for the Ministry of Commerce, Engineer Sarder Amin, Barrister Sadia Arman, among others, were present on the occasion.