DHAKA: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has formed a seven-member committee to look into oil tanker capsize in the Shela River and its impacts on the Sundarbans.

Vice Chairman of the party Major (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed will head the probe committee formed as per the directives of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

The other members of the committee include former BNP lawmaker Nazrul Islam Manju, Khulna City Corporation Mayor Moniruzzaman Moni, environmental activist Sheikh Faridul Islam and Quamrul Islam Chowdhury, chairman of Bangladesh Environmental Journalists Forum.

Media wing officer of the party Sayrul Kabir Khan made the disclosure on Saturday.

The committee was asked to submit the report to Khaleda by December 25.

On December 9, the tanker, Southern Star-7, carrying 3.58 lakh litres of furnace oil went down in the Shela River near in Mongla upazila of Bagerhat after a cargo vessel hit it from behind.

BDST: 1823 HRS, DEC 20, 2014