DoE and UNIDO campaign for plastic-free Rash Mela in Mongla
A discussion meeting and cleanup campaign on sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics were held in Mongla ahead of the upcoming Rash Purnima festival and holy bath at Dublar Char.
The two-day event was jointly organised by the Department of Environment (DoE) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), with financial support from the Government of Norway. It took place at the WildTeam Conservation Biology Centre, Tiger House, Joymoni, Mongla (Sundarbans).
The session was chaired by Sadiqul Islam, Director, DoE Khulna Division. Md Rezaul Karim, Divisional Forest Officer, Khulna Division, attended as the chief guest. Other notable participants included Dr Anwarul Islam, Chief Executive Manager, WildTeam Conservation Biology Centre; Dr Abdullah Al Mamun, Project Director, DoE; Sattya Bhattacharjee, National Project Manager, UNIDO; and S M Arafat, National Expert, UNIDO. Representatives from BD Clean Mongla, local volunteer groups, and visiting Nepalese tourists were also present.
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Speakers called for a plastic-free Rash Mela and stressed the need for long-term behavioural change to protect the Sundarbans and its biodiversity. Dr Abdullah Al Mamun warned that single-use plastics continue to harm ecosystems and human health, while Sattya Bhattacharjee highlighted the 3R principle — Reduce, Reuse and Recycle — as key to reducing pollution.
Dr Anwarul Islam described the Sundarbans as a "mother" that sustains the nation and urged devotees to refrain from using disposable plastics or engaging in harmful practices such as deer hunting or fishing with poison.
In his remarks, Chief Guest Md Rezaul Karim encouraged pilgrims to keep rivers clean during the festival and reaffirmed his department's commitment to maintaining a pollution-free environment.
On the first day, participants joined a cleanup drive at Joymoni Ghat and Joymoni Bazaar, collecting around 100 kilograms of plastic waste. The following morning, volunteers conducted an awareness campaign by boat, broadcasting messages via loudspeakers and distributing eco-friendly cloth and jute bags as alternatives to plastic. Over 400 boats took part in the drive, with pilgrims voluntarily handing over plastic items.
The campaign concluded with a collective pledge to celebrate a plastic-free Rash Mela and preserve the ecological integrity of the Sundarbans.
