Sylhet, June 2, 2025 – Surma River, which is the lifeblood of Sylhet. Three employees of the Sylhet City Corporation (CCIC) were dumping garbage in that river! The City Corporation authorities have been shaken after a video went viral on social media. The three employees have been dismissed with immediate action. This incident has raised questions about environmental awareness as well as the responsibility of government employees.
The incident took place last Saturday (May 31) afternoon, on the banks of the Surma River next to the Kazirbazar Bridge in the city. The garbage was brought in a trolley and thrown directly into the river from there. A local resident, who was an eyewitness, captured the scene on his mobile phone. The video shows three employees wearing City Corporation clothes throwing the garbage from the trolley into the river. After that, the video spread on social media Facebook and quickly went viral.
Immediately after the video was spread, there was intense anger across Sylhet. Environmentally conscious circles and the general public strongly condemned such irresponsible actions. Especially when the government and various environmental organizations are taking various initiatives to prevent river pollution, such actions by the City Corporation employees themselves were very disappointing.
Villet City Corporation Chief Waste Management Officer Mohammad Anwar Aziz confirmed the truth of the incident and said that an investigation was immediately launched after the video came to their attention. Those seen in the video are employees of the Waste Management Department of Sylhet City Corporation. They have been immediately dismissed for such heinous actions. He said, "The City Corporation is in a strict position to prevent river pollution. No such irregularities will be tolerated. A departmental investigation will also be initiated against these three employees."
City Corporation Mayor Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury also expressed his anger over the incident. He said, "The river is our wealth, and it is our responsibility to protect its sanctity. Strict action has been taken against those who committed such heinous acts while being employees of the city corporation. We will be more vigilant to ensure that such incidents do not happen in the future."
This incident has once again brought to the fore the serious side of river pollution. It also reminds us of how important it is to increase awareness and ensure accountability among employees, in addition to enforcing laws and regulations. It is hoped that after this incident, the Sylhet City Corporation will take more effective steps to protect the environment.
