State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury has commented that the government is working sincerely to build pollution-free rivers and safe water vessels. He said that none can move forward without patriotism and not working for the country. During post-75 period, no government or head of the government talked about the country’s rivers. In 1999, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina talked about the navigability of rivers as well as the importance of encroachment and pollution-free rivers.

He was speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony of the Maritime Safety Week-2024 at Bangladesh Shishu Academy auditorium in Dhaka on Tuesday.
Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said, “I took steps to free the riverbanks from illegal occupation in 2019. I could not move forward due to the coronavirus pandemic. I am working to prevent manmade and industrial waste as well as river pollution. Global standard modern water vassals are being built in the country.”
He said, “The International Maritime Organization (IMO) secretary-general visited Bangladesh recently. During his visit, he was overwhelmed. He found a bright future of Bangladesh, which is a great achievement.”

Like previous years, this year also the ‘Maritime Safety Week-2024’ is being observed to create public awareness for reducing maritime waterway accidents under the overall supervision of the Ministry of Shipping. This year’s theme is 'Pollution-free Rivers and Safe Water Vessels Will Contribute to Building Smart Bangladesh'.
The minister of state for shipping said, “In 2019, there were lots of challenges in freeing the rivers from illegal occupation. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has encouraged us and we have been succeeded.