Bagerhat, Nov 20 (V7N) – A public hearing on climate resilience, embankment construction, sluice-gate expansion, and safe water access was held on Thursday in the coastal upazila of Morelganj. The event was organized by the NGO DORP under its ACCESS project and took place at the Upazila Parishad conference hall at 11 a.m.

The session was presided over by Atish Sarkar, Assistant Commissioner (Land) of Morelganj. DORP Upazila Coordinator Shawkat Chowdhury delivered the welcome remarks. Among the speakers were Upazila Secondary Education Officer Md. Shahidul Islam, DORP Monitoring Officer Humayun Kabir, Paikgachha Upazila Coordinator Shariful Islam, Budget Monitoring Club President Khalilur Rahman, Abdul Mannan—the father of July quota movement victim Mahfuzur Rahman—Union Parishad Secretary Probanshu Kumar, UP member Shahabuddin Shikdar, and several representatives from local monitoring clubs and women’s groups.

Speakers emphasized that the coastal region is facing increased vulnerability due to climate change, with rising salinity, tidal surges, and frequent flooding disrupting everyday life. They urged the government to allocate dedicated budgetary support for building durable embankments, constructing sufficient sluice gates to mitigate salinity, and ensuring long-term access to safe drinking water for rural communities.

Participants noted that improving rural infrastructure is essential to protecting livelihoods and strengthening climate resilience in the region.

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