Dhaka: Buriganga is the lifeblood of Dhaka at one time. Grabbing and pollution have increased over time. As a result gradually the river is shrinking. To bring back the lost youth of Buriganga, the non-government organization Water keepers Bangladesh has organized a bicycle rally, children's painting and dinghy boat competition.
The event was held on Friday (November 26) on the banks of the river Buriganga adjacent to the Bosila Bridge.
According to the organizers, a bicycle rally was held from Manik Mia Avenue in the capital to Basila Government Primary School at 9 am on Friday as part of the 'Buriganga River Festival' program on November 26. The bicycle rally was inaugurated by Water keepers Bangladesh Coordinator Sharif Jamil. At the time of the Bangladesh Bicycle Lane Implementation Council President Aminul Islam Tubbus chaired inaugural function was addressed by Prof Ahmed Kamruzzaman Majumder, Chairman, Department of Environmental Sciences, Stamford University; former footballer Kaiser Hamid, actor and film director Nader Chowdhury; Save Buriganga movement coordinator Mihir Biswas, Chairman of River and Delta Research Center(TDRC) Mohammad Ejaj, President of Nongor Sumon Shams and others.
Later at 10.30 am a children's drawing competition on river was held. The dinghy boat competition started at 11:30 am with the participation of boatmen of Buriganga river. At 12 noon, The Mama's, a prominent mime organization of Bangladesh, performed mime on the premises of Bosila Government Primary School.
Professor Ahmed Kamruzzaman Majumder, chairman of the Department of Environmental Sciences at Stamford University, told Barta24.com: The children are first and foremost involved in the river festival, so that the picture of the river appears on the paper. Festivals are being held on the banks of the river, so that everyone can think of the river while sitting by the river.
Dinghy boat competition has been organized under the slogan of de-pollution of the river. There will be a discussion meeting tomorrow and a river-centric fair. The purpose is to make people aware. If the health of the river is good, our city life will be good. We will be fine.'
Water keepers Bangladesh coordinator Sharif Jamil told Barta24.com, “The rivers around Dhaka have now turned into sewers and drains. There was no such situation before. In the rainy season the river actually becomes a part of the festival of our country, in winter it fades due to pollution. We want our country's rivers to be part of the festival all year round. If the rivers cannot be restored to their previous state by decontaminating, then Dhaka cannot be saved. If the river cannot be returned to its place, the water logging of Dhaka will never go.