Experts at a workshop today stressed protecting forests to solve water crisis in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).
Speaking as the chief guest at the workshop, Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Secretary Md Mashiur Rahman said the CHT has favourable climate and environmental factors for restoring natural ecosystems, including forests and water bodies.
"However, factors such as climate change and the growing demands of the developing economy are increasing biotic pressure on the CHT forest ecosystems," he added.
The "Lessons Learned and Way Forward" workshop on Chittagong Hill Tracts Watershed Co-Management Activity (CHTWCA) of Strengthening Inclusive Development in Chittagong Hill Tracts (SID-CHT) project was held at Hasina CHT Complex in Dhaka.
Leading academics, lawyers, journalists underscored the need for formation an independent commission immediately to probe into the August 15, 1975 carnage, which stigmatized the Bangalee nation with the killing of country architect Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members. Further investigation in the August 15 incident is required to unearth the plot designed at home and abroad to kill Bangabandhu, they said adding that a complete inquiry and bringing the culprits to book can stop recurrence of such incident in future. "Formation of a fact finding commission is crucial to unearth the detailed plot of August 15," noted academician Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique said. "Till now we are mostly dependent on the declassified information of USA to study the plot behind the assassination of Bangabandhu. Now we need to explore the local sources to verify the information obtained from external sources to know the entire episode of the plot," Prof. Siddiqui, former Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University, said.
Re-excavated and renovated water bodies, including ponds, lakes and canals, have been benefiting the city dwellers enormously as those were transformed into amusement spots.
Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) has conserved the ponds and canals through necessary re-excavation and renovation at different parts of the city aimed at protecting ecological balance.
In addition to the lake and pond preservation, beautification works were done thereby the improved areas are being familiarized as amusement sports to the city dwellers.
RCC sources said Parijat Lake at Padma residential area, Mathpukur at Sapura and Kalipukur at Seroil area were conserved and beautified. Various infrastructural developments work, including protection wall, walkway and seating arrangement, were implemented.
At present, many people are seen visiting the spots every day, particularly in the morning and afternoon, to get a taste of the natural environment making their life easy and healthy.
Similarly, various other need-based works, including protective boundary wall, seating arrangement, beautification and walkway, in Guljarbag Lake, Tikapara Graveyard waterbody, TB Hospital Pond, Hazi Muhammad Muhsin Government School Pond and Bulanpur Lake are also being progressed.
The RCC has been implementing the development works as part of its Taka 2,993-crore project titled Integrated Urban Infrastructure Development in Rajshahi City.
Reelected Mayor of RCC AHM Khairuzzaman Liton said that many of the works were completed, while more others are progressing fast aimed at protecting environmental balance.
Fathers clubs have been contributing a lot towards fighting against child marriage taking the social curse into special consideration in Rajshahi region.
In different villages, the fathers clubs have been formed and a snake-ludo game is being arranged there to draw guardians of the girls aiming to teach them about the curse of early marriage through dialogue in disguise of playing.
Twenty fathers clubs have so far been formed with around 260 members while each of the clubs was constituted with 13 persons during the last couple of years.
Each of the clubs was given ludu boards printed with seven negative messages linked to child marriage, while seventeen other positive ones on freeing the society from the social menace.
Islam said the initiative has been promoted on behalf of the recently phased out Public Health Improvement Initiative Rajshahi (PHIIR) project to forge social resistance against child marriage through inspiring and encouraging fathers.