A group of environmentalists staged a road march on Thursday in Satkhira demanding security of food and water sources and protection of the environment.
The Road March was organised by non-governmental research institute BARCIK and Education, Culture, and Diversity Protection Team around 10:30am.
The procession started from in front of Satkhira Shaheed Abdur Razzaq Park and ended at the post office junction after going through the main road of the town.
The participants of the march carried placards with slogans such as "Save Rivers", "Protect Agricultural Land", "Ensure Right to Food", "Don't waste soil fertility", "Ensure clean water for life", "One Earth One Chance", "Polluted Air", "Decreasing life expectancy", "Ensure climate justice".
Speakers at the march said agricultural land is gradually decreasing. Topsoil is getting destroyed creating a decline in fertility of the soil. Fresh water is now becoming scarce and the rivers are being killed. But no one is taking steps to stop these, they added.
Food production, and environment is under threat and climate change has exacerbated these crises, they added.
However, they said that we still have time to act.
If the state does not take initiative now, it will pay a terrible price. Satkhira's coast will become uninhabitable, they added.
Speakers demanded state intervention for food, water, soil and river protection and climate justice.
Kalyan Banerjee, staff reporter of Prothom Alo; Azad Hossain Belal, convenor of Satkhira district Nagorik Committee; Abul Kalam Azad, member secretary of Satkhira district Nagorik Committee; environmental activist Ashek-e-Elahi; development worker Madhav Chandra Dutta; Udichi president Siddiqur Rahman; landless people leader Abdus Samad; Itagacha slum resident Rikta Khatun; Amra Bandhu's member Mushfiqur Rahim; Habibul Hasan, president of Education, Culture, and Diversity Protection Team; Gazi Mahida Mizan, assistant program officer of BARCIK; spoke at the event.
