By Ohidur Rahman from Netrakona
A climate March and community discussion were held recently in Monoharpur village of Madan Upazila, Netrakona, under the initiative of BARCIK and the Green Coalition Committee to demand the protection of centuries-old heritage trees and aquatic biodiversity.
The programme began beneath the village’s historic 300-year-old Shimul tree, where community members, environmental activists, teachers, students, farmers, and civil society representatives highlighted the urgent need to conserve heritage trees, rivers, canals, wetlands, and haor ecosystems. Speakers warned that indiscriminate tree felling, wetland degradation, and water pollution are accelerating the loss of native fish species, aquatic plants, and biodiversity while threatening local livelihoods and ecological balance.
Following the discussion, participants joined a climate march through the village before submitting a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner of Netrakona via the Madan Upazila administration. The memorandum called for the official listing and legal protection of the district’s centuries-old, sacred, and historically significant trees, along with stronger measures to conserve the aquatic biodiversity of the haor region.
The programme reaffirmed the importance of collective action to protect Bangladesh’s natural heritage and strengthen climate resilience through community-led conservation initiatives.
