MONGLA, JUNE 06 (V7N) – On World Environment Day, speakers at a symbolic plastic waste cleanup drive in Mongla raised serious concerns about the severe environmental degradation caused by waste dumping from the Mongla Port Municipality, particularly its impact on the Sundarbans and the rivers. The event, held on Wednesday at 11 AM on Mongla's Marine Drive Road, was organized by Dharitree Rakhay Amara (Dhara), Waterkeepers Bangladesh, Pashur River Waterkeeper, and Service Bangladesh.

Participants emphasized that the dumping of municipal waste, especially plastic and polythene, along the Marine Drive Road at the bustling estuaries of the Pashur and Mongla rivers must cease immediately. They cited research indicating the presence of microplastic particles in 17 species of fish in these rivers, warning that consuming such contaminated fish poses a severe and potentially fatal threat to public health. The consensus among speakers was clear: "No more, it is time to stop plastic pollution."

Md. Nur Alam Sheikh, coordinator of Dharaay Amara for Sundarbans and Pashur River Waterkeeper, delivered the chief guest's address at the cleanup program. Other speakers included Kamala Sarkar of Dhara, Abdur Rashid Howlader of Waterkeepers Bangladesh, Mostafizur Rahman Milon of Service Bangladesh, Hasib Sardar of Sundarban Rakhay Amra, student leaders Sheikh Sifatullah Shuvo, Arafat Amin Durjoy, Dollar Molla, Sabbir Hasan Deepto, Pashur River Waterkeeper Volunteer Mehedi Hasan, Mohammad Shaheen Khalifa of Youth for Sundarban Forum, Jane Alam Babu of Mongla Nagorik Samaj, Nushrat Begum of CNRS, Abu Hasan, and Fatema Jannat of BD Clean.

In his address, Nur Alam Sheikh highlighted that approximately 11 million tons of plastic waste enter aquatic environments globally each year, posing a significant threat to biodiversity and human health. He specifically pointed out that the plastic and polythene waste dumping station operated by Mongla Port Municipality, located adjacent to the Marine Drive Road, is actively polluting the Sundarbans, its rivers, and the broader environment. He urgently called for the immediate removal of this waste dumping station from the Marine Drive Road. Furthermore, he advocated for an initial ban on single-use plastics in coastal areas, to be gradually extended nationwide. Sheikh stressed the necessity of immediate and effective measures to halt plastic and polythene pollution in the Sundarbans, a world heritage site in Asia. He concluded by appealing to the global community, stating, "Let's prevent plastic pollution and build an environmentally friendly world."