Educationists and experts at a seminar today called for creating a river-conscious generation to save the rivers that are lifelines for the economy, environment, ecosystems and national heritage.
They made the call at the school-level river awareness raising seminar organised by the Riverine People, a river rights-based organisation, at Rangpur Police Lines School and College auditorium here in the city.
Organizer of the Riverine People and teacher of the Department of Bengali of Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur (BRUR) Khairul Islam presided over the event participated by a number of teachers and students of the institution.
Principal of Police Lines School and College Professor Dr. K.M. Jalal Uddin Akbar attended the seminar as chief guest.
Director of the Riverine People and Professor of Department of Bengali of BRUR Professor Dr. Tuhin Wadud addressed the event as keynote speaker.
Vice Principal of Rangpur Police Lines School and College Md. Manjurul Islam and Assistant Teacher Md. Mossarraf Hossain also spoke.
Khairul Islam narrated the present miserable situation of many rivers and stressed on keeping the rivers alive and pollution-free round the year terming the rivers as lifelines for the economy, ecology, environment, bio- diversity and heritage.
“The students should start their efforts from their school and college life to save the rivers,” he said.
Professor Dr. Tuhin Wadud said, "We all have a responsibility to protect the rivers. If the rivers do not survive, we will not be able to leave any habitable Bangladesh for the next generations."
He put importance on saving all rivers from extinction and encroachment and taking necessary steps to ensure uninterrupted water flow round the year to improve the environment and national economy.
“We need to build such a generation that everyone will work for the river. There is no alternative to create a river-conscious generation to save the rivers,” Dr. Tuhin added.
The chief guest said the world civilization was created around the rivers across the globe. The rivers of our country are our resources. If these resources are lost, life will not be saved.
“We all have to work from our respective places to save the rivers,” he said, hoping that the seminar would motivate the students to protect the rivers in the future.
