Satkhira Correspondent:
World Wetlands Day 2025 was celebrated in Satkhira with the slogan "Public Life Mixed with Watersheds". A colorful rally and discussion meeting were held to celebrate the day.
Md. Saiful Islam, Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension, Satkhira Farm House, spoke as the chief guest at the World Wetlands Day discussion meeting held at the conference room of the Department of Agricultural Extension Farm House adjacent to Town Bazar in Satkhira city on Sunday (February 2) afternoon.
Former Principal Ashek-e-Elahi moderated the World Wetlands Day discussion meeting, and special guests included ADDD Md. Jalal Uddin of the Department of Agricultural Extension Satkhira, DAE Iqbal Ahmed, former professor Mozammel Haque, District Program Officer OCC Abdui Hai Siddiqui, Executive Director of Moumachir Sushant Mallick, and District Environmental Worker Sakibir Rahman Babla.
In their remarks at the World Wetlands Day discussion meeting, speakers said:
Everyone must unite to protect wetlands for nature and environment. The theme of this year's World Wetlands Day is 'Life interlaced wetlands and people'. The quality of most of the world's wetlands is not good now. Many wetlands have become a health risk for people due to the mixing of various types of pollutants. Which continues to pose a major threat. This day has been celebrated worldwide on February 2 every year since 1971 through the Ramsar Convention. Wetlands play an important role in protecting nature and the environment. Not only that, wetlands are an undeniable element in protecting environmental health. This concept of wetland conservation is not only for humans. It has provided a guideline and opinion to make the entire world habitable. To protect the balance of nature, the issue of wetland conservation must be considered seriously with proper management in the ecosystem. The day is celebrated to increase public awareness on this issue.
The speakers also said in their speeches,
The southwestern coastal region of the country is surrounded by numerous water bodies and wetlands. The rivers, canals, ponds, lakes and ponds of this region are spread like a net. But over time, our various development initiatives with the aspiration of living a so-called better life have had a negative impact on these wetlands. On the one hand, the impact of climate change and on the other hand, the impact of unplanned development activities are leading us towards a crisis day by day. Our agricultural system, water communication system, proper water management, biodiversity conservation and environmental system have all collapsed. As a result, waterlogging, salinity, potable water crisis, groundwater crisis, and the crisis of conventional agricultural systems have taken a prominent shape. Not only that, the traditional culture of this region, agricultural season, and the normal life of the village are immersed in turmoil. A wetland can play an important role in the nature of a village, the conservation of biodiversity of that region, and above all, creating a habitable environment, creating a healthy environment for the next generation. We are destroying the natural character and nature of wetlands through various initiatives including pollution, encroachment, filling, and unplanned dams, which are such an important element of nature. At the same time, we are destroying our natural way of life.
In collaboration with BELLA and ALRD and organized by Sundarbans Foundation and BELLA Network, the discussion meeting on World Wetlands Day was also addressed by District Cyber Crime Alert Team Director Sheikh Mahbubul Haque, Member Khalid Hossain, TIB's Salahuddin Rana, Youth Organizer Jahangir Alam, Shakib Hossain, Md. Imran Hossain, Sheikh Afzal Hossain, Masud Rana, Hridoy Mandal, Town Girls School Teacher Afzal Hossain, and representatives of 25 development projects in Satkhira.
After the discussion meeting on World Wetlands Day, a colorful rally was held from the premises of a farm house adjacent to the town market in Satkhira city to create public awareness. The rally circled the main roads of the city and ended at the right place.
SM Habibul Hasan
Satkhira Correspondent
