With Nur Mohammad Master in the chair, the rally was addressed by, among others, Iqbal Hossain Khan, Afjal Hossain Khan Joki, advocate Sakhawat Hossain, Nabagram Union Parishad (UP) ex-chairman advocate Nazrul Islam Badsha, Garpara UP ex- chairman Hasibur Rahman Selim, Habibur Rahman Swapan and Mir Jahid Hossain.

The speakers said the river water is being contaminated by waste from a textile mill at Gilondo village in the Sadar upazila. The mill set up eight years ago has no waste management plant, they said.

Nearly 600,000 people of 30 village on the banks of the river are facing serious crisis of water. They can not even bathe in the river, not to speak of using the water for cooking and other use because it has turned almost black due to pollution, the speakers said.

All varieties of fish in the 10- kilometre stretch of the river in the area are disappearing and hundreds of fishermen have become unemployed.

Many people in the area have been attacked with various chronic diseases after using the water, they claimed.

Later they submitted a memorandum to Manikganj DC demanding steps within 48 hours to check the pollution. Otherwise, a tough agitation programme will be announced, the memorandum said.