Bhandaria (Pirojpur) Correspondent:

A learning and experience-sharing meeting was held in Bhandaria, Pirojpur, to promote the protection of the Sundarbans and encourage people to refrain from using plastic and polythene. The event was organised by the non-governmental organisation Rupantar.

The meeting was held from 11am to 5pm on Thursday (September 17) at the BRDB Hall Room in the upazila.

The event was chaired by Shahina Akter Suma, general secretary of the Bhandaria Upazila branch of the Sundarbans Youth Forum. Among those who spoke were Rupantar’s Pirojpur District Coordinator and Project Officer Sahida Banu Sonia, youth organiser Salman Khan Badsha, Upazila Small-Scale Fishermen Association President Md. Liton Talukdar, businessman Mahmudul Hasan, senior member of the Bhandaria branch of the Sundarbans Youth Forum Md. Zahirul Islam Sohag, Organising Secretary Sultana Akter, NGO worker Shiuli Akter and others.

The programme was moderated by Sabji Kumar Shaon, a member of the Upazila Sundarbans Youth Forum.

More than 50 members of the upazila’s Youth Forum attended the meeting.

The main objective of the project is to raise awareness about the harmful effects of plastic and polythene waste and prevent pollution through coordinated awareness campaigns. It also aims to improve integrated waste management activities in the Sundarbans Impact Zone by strengthening coordination among government and non-government organisations and local government bodies.

Leaders of the Youth Forum at different levels, elected representatives, journalists, forest-dependent people, fishermen and people from various other professions attended the meeting.