Hartal is Possitive For Inviornment....(PM Sekh Hasina)

Shun hartal, talk Caretaker Government issue in House: PM Sun, Jun 5th, 2011 3:39 pm BdST

The prime minister has termed the opposition hartal illogical and called upon it to come up with its proposals on the caretaker government issue in parliament. "The issue, over which the opposition called the general strike, is not justifiable. They [opposition] don't care for the court order. I urge them to place their proposals, if any, in parliament," Hasina said on Sunday. "The door to parliament is always open," she said while inaugurating International Environment Day programmes at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre. BNP and its key ally Jamaat-e-Islami enforced the daylong countrywide general strike protesting the government move to annul the caretaker government provision. Earlier, the prime minister called upon the opposition to offer their views at a Ganabhaban press conference on May 31 and later at a meeting with Awami League executive council on Friday. In reply, opposition chief Khaleda Zia told a Saturday media brief, "The prime minister has said there was no scope to retain the caretaker government. On the other hand, she has been urging the opposition to opine on the issue inside the parliament. What worth it would be to opine if there was no scope?" Meanwhile, state minister for environment and forest Hasan Mahmud has criticised the shutdown. He said, "The opposition has inscribed a stigma on the face of the nation. They exhibited their imprudence and lack of commonsense through the shutdown." 'SAVE ENVIRONMENT' Reading out from her written speech, Hasina urged all to act in concert to save the environment. "Many animal species are getting vanished. We have to decide now how to save the environment," she said. She expressed concern over the increasing rate of pollution along with the global development, and dwelt upon the government initiatives for making the surface and rain water usable. She also urged to keep the Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) active in factories. Hasina advised on reining in the use of chemicals in households to check water pollution. She also urged the environment department to take effective initiatives to stop unnecessary use of horn for easing sound pollution. She also suggested making 'hall-block', an alternative to brick, by using cement and coarse sand of river bed. This time the environment day is being observed with the theme "Forests-Nature at Your Service". This year, the Institute of Forestry and Environmental Science of Chittagong University got the National Environment Medal for its contribution to conservation of environment. Institute director Khaled Mesbahuzzaman received the medal from the prime minister. On the other hand, EOS Textile Mills Limited got the National Environment Medal for checking environmental pollution, while Sundarban Samarthak Committee bagged it for environmental education and campaign. Committee convenor Mohammad Liakat Ali also received the medal from the prime minister. Later, the prime minister handed over prizes to the winners of Environment Day sketch and essay competitions 2011 and 2010. Programmes of the Environment Day 2010 were postponed due to the dreadful Nimtali fire. Environment and forest ministry acting secretary Mesbah Ul Alam and environment department director general Manwar Islam also addressed the programme. After inaugurating the programme, the prime minister took her seat in the audience and watched a documentary film on saving Buriganga River and another Geetinatya (lyrical drama) performed by Shilpakala Academy.