By Khadija Akter Lita and Rukhsana Rumi
Aiming to protect life, nature, the environment, wildlife, wetlands, forests, and haor ecosystems, and to build a humane and equitable Bangladesh, a Youth Climate Festival was organized at Chandranath Degree College recently. The event was organized by Green Coalition, the Education, Environment and Diversity Protection Committee, and Chandranath Degree College, with support from BARCIK.
Held in the college auditorium, the event featured discussions and a quiz competition on climate and the environment, with participation from students, teachers, journalists, and environmental activists.
The chief guest was Mr. Anowar Hasan, Principal of Chandranath Degree College, a writer, researcher, editor, and president of the Netrokona Agricultural Land Protection Movement. Other distinguished guests included writer and environmentalist Sohrab Uddin Akand, Assistant Professor of Political Science Amiya Ranjan Talukdar, Lecturer of Biology Zahidul Islam, Lecturer of English Harun-or-Rashid, President of Save the Animals of Susang Rifat Ahmed Russell, General Secretary of Green Coalition Netrokona District Mirza Hridoy Sagar, journalist Tanvir Hayat Khan, and BARCIK’s Regional Coordinator and researcher Md. Ohidur Rahman, along with college faculty and students.
Chief guest Anowar Hasan said, “Everything in nature exists for human well-being, but out of greed, we are destroying these elements. Nature must be allowed to function in its own way otherwise, we will face grave consequences.”
Arefin Russell, president of Save the Animals of Susang, added, “We are making our environment unsafe for humans by polluting air, water, and sound. Deforestation is accelerating soil erosion and destroying wildlife habitats. While we’ve rescued and returned over a hundred rare species to forests, this is not a lasting solution. Protecting forests is essential for their survival.”
In his welcome remarks, BARCIK’s regional coordinator said, “We are polluting our soil, water, and air, thereby pushing ourselves into crisis. It is the youth who can build a humane and eco-friendly future for Bangladesh.”
Students actively participated in the quiz competition on environment, climate, and biodiversity. The event concluded with the distribution of prizes to the winners.
