Civil society members came together at CIRDAP auditorium to speak on the recent landslides that killed more than 160 people. Analyzing the two largest landslides in Bangladesh the one in 2007 and this year, Dhaka University Geography Professor M Shahidul Islam said both natural and man-made situations can cause landslides. “Another major reason for landslides is when the hills are cut to make way for settlements. Deforestation and trying to supplant traditional Jhum cultivation practices with flat land agricultural practices contribute heavily to destabilising the foundations of hills,” said Professor Shahidul in his keynote speech. Professor Shahidul said the probe report from the 2007 landslide is yet to be published.

Source: Dhaka Tribune July 21, 2017 18:22 UTC