PM Hasina asks BNP for evidence of Haor radiation claim

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked the BNP for evidence to substantiate its claim that fishes and aquatic animals in the flooded backswamps of Sunamganj are dying due to radiation.

Speaking on the issue at a meeting of the Awami League's local government election nomination board at Ganabhaban on Monday, she termed the BNP's claim 'false propaganda'.

"I would like to ask them (BNP) to present evidence of what they have said," she said, adding that the people would not believe the BNP's claim without any proof.

"It's a scientific matter. It has to be proved scientifically in laboratory tests. The people will believe them only if they can prove it in a laboratory test.

"Otherwise, the people will never pay heed to their false propaganda."

The issue has arisen in light of crops in haors of Sunamganj, Kishoreganj, Netrokona, Moulvibazar, Sylhet and Habiganj districts going under water in flash floods in early April.

Fishes and fowls, mainly ducks, and aquatic animals have also begun to die after the water got contaminated.

Media reports, citing concerns by experts and local residents, noted that fishes and birds might have died due to radiation from open pit uranium mines in the Indian state of Meghalaya across the border in Sunamganj.

Late last year, the Khasi community living just across the border near Sunamganj's Tanguar haor raised concerns over the death of the fish population which it suspected was caused by uranium toxin exposure owing to the open pit mining of uranium.

A team of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission visited Sunamganj on Sunday and concluded that the level of radiation in the haors was not alarming. The members of the team said they had found no evidence of uranium contamination.

But BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Monday questioned the BAEC findings. He cited media reports and social media posts to back the claim that uranium mining in India was responsible for the contamination.

"The people do not believe in any inquiry by this government," he said.

Later at the Ganabhaban meeting, the prime minister said the government had not wasted any time in investigating the claim of uranium contamination when reports about it surfaced.

"The Atomic Energy Commission found no such thing there. Then why is the BNP still holding press conferences on the matter? What evidence do they have?" she asked.

"We are investigating why the fishes and animals are dying," she added.