Children's press conference to make tomorrow's world livable

Children held a press conference in Kalapara on Saturday 11 Nov 2023.

Patuakhali: Children and teenagers held a press conference to meet the demands of the grassroots people who are struggling with natural disasters, including the effects of climate change and climate justice at Kalapara under Patuakhali district. Lawyers, teachers, journalists and students of schools and colleges were present at that time.

Youth Forum and Shishu Forum organization organized this press conference at Kalapara Press Club's Engineer Md. Tauhidur Rahman (CIP) auditorium on Saturday morning at about 11 a.m. They presented a written statement on the rights and demands of the unfortunate people of the coastal area in a press conference. Champapur union Shishu Forum member Jidnee, Faria and Dalbuganj union Youth Forum member Monira Akhter read out their written statement in the press conference.

In their written statement, they presented that the life of the coastal people has been disrupted due to the impact of climate change, intrusion of salt water into the agricultural land in the coastal areas, severe erosion of rivers and frequent disasters. Due to increase in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere due to black smoke emission from mills, the environment is under threat due to seasonal changes along with destruction of social forestry and mangrove forests. Due to heavy rains and lack of rains, the means of transportation to the educational institutions is getting disrupted. People of all ages including children, old people are being affected by new diseases.

As part of the movement to protect the environment in cooperation with the non-governmental organization Avas and ActionAid Bangladesh, the children have called on the developed world to come forward to protect the people of the disaster-prone coastal areas from disaster.

Kalapara Press Club president Md. Humayun Kabir presided over the children's press conference. Avas project manager Monirul Islam, veteran journalist Delwar Hossain among others discussed in the press conference. - Gofran Biswas Palash