DHAKA: The government is going to increase the price of collected furnace oil spilled from a tanker which sank at the river Shela in the Sundarbans.

 Apart from this, authorities concerned will hold meeting with the experts for foreign help to speedy removal of the spilled oil to save Sundarbans biodiversity.

Deputy Minister for environment and forests Abdullah Al Islam Jakob made the disclosure while talking to journalists at the secretariat after an inter-ministerial meeting on Sunday.

Sources said the meeting was also held to discuss present circumstance after the accident and fix work plan how to save the Sundarbans from damage.

However, the minister said there that the government will save the Sundarbans at any cost.

Jakob, moreover, added there the authorities have already engaged 100 hired boats and 300 workers to remove spilled oil from Shela River and the adjoining areas. “The chief forest conservator has been asked to add more 500 boats there to ensure speedy removal of the oil,” he said.

He also said the authorities concerned have also been instructed to create mobile teams for collecting oil.

Acting secretary of the ministry of environment and forests Khandaker Rakibur Rahman said the ministry has also asked the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) to increase the price of collected oil.

On the other hand, the environment ministry has taken all necessary steps to make oil collection quicker.

The minister said that government would take decision regarding foreign help after consultation with the experts.

He added: “Not only that, in a bid to save oil collectors from skin diseases medical teams will be sent there while home ministry will provide security measures.”

** Body of sunken tanker master recovered

BDST: 1647 HRS, DEC 14, 2014