Staff Reporter, Rangpur :
A public awareness rally, discussion meeting and award distribution were held in Rangpur on the occasion of World Environment Day on Sunday . The rally came out from the Deputy Commissioner’s office and went around the important roads of the city.
Massive tree plantation has become crucial for a safer planet by reducing environmental degradation that threatens life, livelihoods, ecosystems, habitation and civilization.
Officials and experts viewed this Sunday at a discussion jointly organised by the district administration and Department of Environment (DoE) at the Conference Room of the Deputy Commissioner in observance of the World Environmental Day.
Elaborate programs, including rally, painting competitions for children on environment, distribution of saplings, tree plantation, distribution of prizes and cultural functions, were taken in observance of the day.
Earlier, government and NGO officials, environmentalists, students, teachers, politicians, professionals, civil society members, community leaders and elite, participated in a rally that paraded the city streets.
Divisional Commissioner Md. Abdul Wahhab Bhuiyan attended the discussion as the chief guest with Deputy Commissioner Md. Asib Ahsan in the chair.
Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Abdul Alim Mahmud, Divisional Director of the DoE Syed Farhad Hossain, Superintendent of Police Md. Ferdous Ali Chowdhury and Deputy Director of the DoE Md. Mizanur Rahman addressed the discussion as special guests.
Syed Farhad Hossain discussed the ongoing environmental degradation being caused by climate change due to global warming and massive steps taken by the government to cope with the situation. Abdul Alim Mahmud called upon all concerned for innovating and adopting effective technologies alongside tree plantation to cope with the adverse impacts of climate change to keep crop production increasing for food security.
Special guests at the meeting were Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Abdul Alim Mahmud, Rangpur District Superintendent of Police Ferdous Ali Chowdhury, Rangpur Divisional Director of the Environment Department Syed Farhad Hossain, Deputy Director Mohammad Mizanur Rahman and all the officials of the Environment Department. On the occasion, the Divisional Commissioner called upon all to protect nature and environment and to eliminate harmful issues from the environment and make the next generation livable. Earlier in the morning, Divisional Commissioner Abdul Wahab Bhuiyan started the procession by flying balloons. At the end of the discussion, prizes were distributed among the winners of various competitions including painting and composition. Tree saplings were also distributed among the students.
Staff Reporter, Kishoreganj reports : The World Environment Day was celebrated in the country as elsewhere around the world on Sunday with a view to creating mass awareness for conservation of nature and environment.
This year’s theme of the day is ‘Only One Earth: Living Sustainably in Harmony with Nature’.
Environment Department, District Administration in Kishoreganj and non-government organisations (NGOs) as well as ducational institutions have chalked out elaborate programmes to observe the day.in Kishoreganj town.
A discussion meeting was held at local Collectorate Conference room on Sunday. Deputy Commissioner (DC) in Kishoreganj Mohammad Shamim Alam attended as chief guest while ADC (General) Md.Golam Mostafa presided over.
It was addressed among others by Mayor Pervez Miah as special guest, Deputy Civil Surgeon (DCS) Dr.Zahir Talukder, Magistrate Shafiul Islam, Senior Journalist Saiful Haque Mollah Dulu, Awami League district Environment Secretary Enayet karim Omi, and Senior Camaist Rubaya Tahareem Shorab in Environment Department. DC Mohammad Shamim Alam said, there is no alternative to build a close relation with the nature and environment for the existence of mankind in the world.
“Bangladesh is enriched with unique natural beauty. Geographical location, hills, rivers, forests and the Bay of Bengal has made Bangladesh into a splendorous land for living,”,.
DC called upon all the concerned to take steps to save environment to make development sustainable.
BSS from Rajshahi adds: Generating awareness among the public in general can be the best way of survival of all living beings through protecting the environment and wildlife from further degradation.
Environment has been facing a serious threat due to various natural and manmade catastrophes posing an identical threat to the planet Earth at present. So, all the government, non-government and volunteer organizations should forward and work together. Experts and administrative officials came up with the observation while addressing a post-rally discussion on the issue Sunday.
The Department of Environment (DoE) and District Administration jointly organised the discussion at Shilpakala Academy Auditorium in observance of the World Environment Day. “Only One Earth: Living Sustainably in Harmony with Nature” was the main theme of the day.
On the occasion, prizes were distributed among the winners of art competitions for children.
Commissioner of Rajshahi Division GSM Zafarullah and Commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Abu Kalam Siddique addressed the discussion as chief and special guests respectively, while Deputy Commissioner Abdul Jalil was in the chair.
Mahmuda Parveen, Deputy Director of DoE, Rajshahi, welcomed the participants.
Prof Sabrina Naz, Director of the Institute of Environmental Sciences in Rajshahi University, illustrated the aspects of protecting the environment besides its harming factors during her keynote presentation.
She also said emphasis should be given on providing positive incentives for the reduction of emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and enhancing biodiversity conservation as well as promoting sustainable development goals of the region.
Dr Naz identically mentioned that substantial and sustainable reduction of plastic pollution can be the vital means of protecting water bodies and environment as well from further degradation. Currently, plastic pollution is being judged as a major threat to the whole ecosystem. So, creating public awareness on the issue has become indispensable.
Commissioner Zafarullah expressed concern over an increasing use of plastics for packaging perishable foods. He said city corporations and municipalities across the country are not yet ready to adopt the strategy of reduce, reuse and recycle, a 3R strategy formulated by DoE.
He called for creating awareness among all concerned including the younger generations to prevent environmental degradation that severely threatens the existence of the whole planet, its habitation and civilization.
Earlier, a colourful rally was brought out from the city’s Bangabandhu Crossing and that ended at the meeting venue after parading main thoroughfares of the city.
