Senior journalist leaders of the country have urged local media workers to play a responsible role in protecting rivers and the environment that are under threat due to climate change and man-made causes.
It is easy for local journalists to identify the causes of these threats. And, if the reasons are identified and properly highlighted in the media, it is possible to find a way to solve the problem. Therefore, grassroots media workers should be more efficient and responsible in all these matters.
The journalist leaders said these during a day-long workshop at Anirban Library Auditorium of Mahmudkati village of Paikgasa Upazila of Khulna on Friday.
The workshop, titled “Role of local journalists in protecting rivers and environment”, was organized by Waterkeeper Bangladesh and the Sundarbans and Coast Protection Movement.
Dhaka TribuneNikhil Chandra Bhadra, coordinator of the Sundarbans and Coast Protection Movement, addressed the meeting. Former president of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul, BFUJ President Omar Farooq, Dhaka Journalist Union (DUJ) Sports and Cultural Secretary Sakila Parveen, BFUJ Joint General Secretary Hedayet Hossain, BFUJ Executive Member Kaushik Dey, Martyr Freedom Fighter Alim Sahitya Sangsad General Secretary Sanjidul Hasan and Joydev Bhadra, the founder of Anirban Library, and representative of Waterkeepers Bangladesh Md Noor Alam Sheikh were also present.
The speakers said that the southwest coastal region was already at risk of disaster. After that, the river was almost dead because the river's water flow was obstructed for 20 years due to the installation of pillars in the name of bridge construction at Kapilmuni. Apart from this, the picture of encroachment and pollution is alarming. They urged the authorities to take a special action plan to protect the traditional river.
Dhaka TribuneCalling for the speedy implementation of the Kapotaksha river dredging project, journalist leaders said that the normal flow of the Kapotakkha River has stopped due to encroachment, pollution and filling, due to which the risk of disasters has increased in the southwestern coastal region of the country. The normal flow of the river should be ensured to deal with the risk of disaster.
They said that if the flow of the river is not maintained normally, the livelihood of the people of the Kapotaksh banks of Satkhira, Khulna, Jessore and Jhenaidah districts will be affected.
They expressed frustration over the disruption of the flow of the river due to the installation of piers of the Kapilmuni-Kanaidiya bridge for two long years. They demanded to start excavation work from the Balia part of the river to Agarghata as soon as possible.
At the end of the meeting, the local journalists accompanied the leaders to visit the various areas of the river affected by encroachment and corruption. They also interacted with the affected people.