BSS :
Adolescents brought out a bicycle rally in the city here yesterday aiming to raise public awareness about the essence of abiding by hygiene rules for preventing the spread of Covid-19 infection.
The rally was organised by ‘Sobujer Sopnojoy’ (Chasing Dreams by the Evergreens) with the banner ‘Always follow hygiene rules, get Covid-19 vaccine and stand by the children and families affected by corona’.
UNICEF and Rangpur City Corporation extended assistance to ‘Sobujer Sopnojoy’, a Rangpur-based social media platform, where adolescents from the northern region are gathering online to raise voices on children issues and child protection risks amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Panel Mayor of Rangpur City Corporation Mahmudur Rahman Titu inaugurated the rally as a yearlong awareness raising campaign against coronavirus ceremonially at Town Hall premises as the chief guest. Regional Director of Bangladesh Betar at its Rangpur Kendra Dr Md Harun- ur-Rashid spoke as special guest.
Dr Rashid appreciated the initiative taken by member adolescents of ‘Sobujer Sopnojoy’ to encourage people to adhere to safe hygiene practices like wearing masks and taking Covid-19 vaccine.
Young representatives of the organisation Al Amin, Muniim, Rhitik and Sanjum called for united efforts to bring the children affected by the pandemic back to schools, ensure safe and infection-free educational
institutions and help families affected by corona virus.
Ashik, Tisha and Miftahul, few members of ‘Sobujer Sopnojoy’, urged the service provider organisations and government authorities to ensure Covid-19vaccine and safe hygiene practices for the people living in remote and hardly reachable areas.
Communication for Development Officer at UNICEF Bangladesh Monjur Ahmed, its Health Officer Dr Nazmun Nahar Bably and Program Officer Raushan Rahman also spoke. They stressed on maintaining the continuation of the awareness-raising program to inspire people in taking Covid-19 vaccine, covering nose and mouth properly, wearing masks and washing hands frequently with soap for 20 seconds.
Former Head of the Department of Bengali at Rangpur Government Begum Rokeya College Professor Md Shah Alam, teacher of Arazi Hariswar Government Primary School Md Bablur Rashid, teacher of Rangpur Millennium Star School and College Rashedul Tipu Sabuj lauded the awareness raising program of
‘Sobujer Sopnojoy’ since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
They also called upon the government and non-government organisations to ensure proper reflection of the views of children and adolescents in their development programs.
More than 50 teenage bicyclists participated in the rally bearing placards with inscriptions like ‘Take Covid-19 vaccine yourself and ask others to take the same’, ‘Let’s stand by each other in humanity and communal harmony’, ‘Ensure life free of child marriage and child labor for children’, ‘Ensure’ child-friendly environment and service everywhere’, ‘We want a life free ofviolence and oppression for children and adolescents’ and ‘Follow the hygienerules despite the corona virus infection is deckling’.
