Lively and Productive Event on Bangladesh Environment in Sydney, Australia:
On the occasion of tenth anniversary of its foundation, Bangladesh Environment Network (BEN) held an all-day-long event at the University of Western Sydney (Parramatta Campus) on 1st November 2008 in Sydney. It was participated by Australians and Non-Resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) in Australia.
There were three sessions of the event, an inaugural session, a seminar and a public forum. All participants contributed to the theme of the seminar, namely Bangladesh Environment, through their suggestions and recommendations.
Mr. Kamrul Ahsan Khan, Coordinator, BEN Australian Chapter, welcomed the guests and underscored the need for cooperation between Australia and Bangladesh on the global issue of global warming and environment protection.
The first session had a few guest speakers, that included Federal MP for Parramatta Hon. Julie Owens (Sydney); Acting High Commissioner Mahbub Hassan Saleh; Member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales state, John Kaye of Australia Greens; and Mr. Adam Wolfenden, of Aid Watch/Friends of Earth. Senior Lecturer Dr Mamta Choudhury was MC for the inaugural session.
A Bangladeshi young girl Serah Choudhury read out the written appeals on the importance of protecting environment on behalf of the younger generation.
A vote of thanks was given by Dr. Swapan Paul, the Convenor of BEN, Sydney Branch to the guest speakers for their participation and their speeches.
At the session, a website of BEN was inaugurated by Barrister Harun ur Rashid (who was in Sydney from Bangladesh) . The website provides up-to-date information of the activities of BEN in containing the adverse effects of global warming on Bangladesh. The address of the website is: http://priyoaustralia.com.au/ben, Speakers stressed the need of Australia to lead the world in combating the effects of global warming by reducing the emission of greenhouse gases and extend cooperation to the needs of Bangladesh in containing the impact of global warming on the country.
At the seminar session there were keynote speakers that include Barrister Harun ur Rashid, former High Commissioner for Bangladesh to Australia; Dr. Debashish Mazumdar and Mizanur Rahman Mazumdar on three separate topics, namely the Environment of Bangladesh: Socio-economic Perspectives and a Way Forward, Environment of Bangladesh: Water Pollution, Water Crisis and Remedies and Environment of Bangladesh: Institutional Support, Problems and Prospects in respective order.
After presentation of the keynote papers, two academics Prof Dr Shams Rahman, Prof Dr Vincent Gomes, and environment specialist Dr Swapan Paul made constructive comments on these papers as discussants.
The public forum (third session) included the presentation by Dr. Nilufar Jahan, of BEN, Australia on the current and proposed activities of BEN in promoting awareness among Non-Resident Bangladeshis (NRB) in Australia and providing support to Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA) on its current environ-friendly programmes. many participants took part in the discussion, including Mr Ronesh Maitra (visiting Sydney), Mr Afsar Ahmed of BDRC , Academic Mrs Zakia Mr Anisur Rahman (webmaster www.sydney-bangla.com), Dr Narayan Das,Dr Masud. Writer Monaem Sarker. Principal Shamsun Nahar, Probir Maitra and many others academics, environmentalist & community leaders.
In this session certificates and prizes were given to the winners of essay-writing competition on the occasion.
The event was the second one in providing a link between NRB and Australian government and society to keep abreast degradations of Bangladesh environment and the ways to confront the adverse impacts in Bangladesh through joint collaboration, cooperation and assistance. A third event of BEN will be held in early April in Melbourne.
Suggestions were made to reduce pollution and preserve the natural flow of river Buriganga, and means and strategies to keep clear air and healthy soil in Bangladesh. Education on and awareness of environment were identified as key elements to all people in Bangladesh, especially in the countryside. All school -students from primary to higher secondary must be imparted education on environment and how to meet challenges with its degradations in the country.
The questions and answers at the seminar were animated and lively. The seminar demonstrated that NRBs in Australia are not sitting idle to combat the degradations of environment in Bangladesh. BEN is making all efforts to make awareness of this massive problem among NRBs in Australia but also providing funds in projects in Bangladesh of BAPA.
The holding of the BEN seminars is commendable and the organisers must be congratulated on their current activities in Australia.
Kamrul Ahsan Khan
Australia
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