A civic platform on environment and climate issues called ‘Dhritri Rokkhay Amra (We for Protecting Earth- Dhora)’ has been floated in Bangladesh.
A press conference was held at the National Press Club in the capital on Thursday (January 11) on the occasion of the debut of the platform.
Rasheda K Choudhury, executive director of Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE) and an adviser to the former caretaker government; presided over the press conference, while Sharif Jamil, coordinator of Waterkeepers Bangladesh, read out the declaration of the newly floated platform and moderated the event.
The press conference was also attended, among others, by Sultana Kamal, an adviser to the former caretaker government; Dr Mujibur Rahman Hawladar, a former chairman of National River Conservation Commission (NRCC); Bejoy Nicephorus D’Cruze, archbishop of Roman Catholic Church; Sharmeen Murshid, chief executive officer of election observation group ‘Brotee’; Sanjeeb Drong, general secretary of Bangladesh Adivasi Forum; Professor Dr. Adil Mohammad Khan, president of Bangladesh Institute of Planners; MS Siddiqui, advisor of Bangladesh Competition Commission; environmental movement leaders Abdul Karim Chowdhury Kim and Father Joseph Gomez.
Two elected public representatives of the two major political parties¬--Md. Rashiduzzaman, MP from Khulna-6 constituency and Md. Akbar Hossain, a ward commissioner of Dhaka city— were also present at the event and expressed their solidarity.
At the beginning of the press conference, Rasheda K Chowdhury highlighted the background of the creation of this new organisation and called upon everyone to be more vocal to protect the country’s rivers and water bodies from encroachment and pollution.
Sharif Jamil mentioned a total of 11 promises in the organisation, while Sultana Kamal announced the organisation’s five-member advisory committee, 13-member convening committee and eight newly announced programmes and their coordinators.
The members of the advisory committee are Sultana Kamal (Chairman), Dr Mujibur Rahman Hawladar, Archbishop Bejoy Nicephorus D’Cruze, Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed, and Ajay A Mu.
Members of the convening committee are Rasheda K Chowdhury (convener), Sharmeen Murshid (joint convener), MS Siddiqui. (joint convener), Sharif Jamil (member secretary), Architect Salma A Shafi (member), Sanjib Drong (member), Professor Aktar Mahmud (member), Professor Adil Mohammad Khan (member), Father Joseph Gomez, (member), Md Maruf Hossain (member), Fazlul Quader Chowdhury (member), Abdul Karim Kim (member) and Arafat Zubair (member).
The programme coordinators are Abdul Karim Chowdhury Kim; Sanjida Rahman, Tofazzal Sohail, Nikhil Chandra Bhadra, Noor Alam Sheikh, Jahangir Alam, Ziaur Rahman, and Md. Afzal Hossain.
