BAGERHAT: A massive operation, involving the locals, fishermen and foresters, has been started from 7:30am Saturday to remove the floating furnace oil on the rivers and canals around the mangrove forest Sundarbans.

Confirming the matter, Sundarbans East Department Chandpai Range assistant forest officer Belayet Hossain told banglanews that the forest department has involved some 200 locals in this operation.

Apart from this, a good number of local people have also been engaged in the work voluntarily, he added.

Moreover, a non-government organization has also involved 50 of their employees in the oil removal operation.

They were storing the oil in drums, buckets and holes dug by the rivers.

BDST: 1452 HRS, DEC 13, 2014