CU Correspondent
On the occasion of World Environment Day, Chittagong University Central Students’ Union (CUCSU) and environmental organization ‘Ek Takay Brikkhoropon’ jointly organized a discussion session and a tree distribution program where participants exchanged plastic waste for saplings.
The event was held on Thursday (June 11) at the auditorium of the Central Library of Chittagong University (CU). CUCSU Vice President Ibrahim Roni presided over the program, while Niaz Makhdoom, president of the CU unit of ‘Ek Takay Brikkhoropon’, served as the host.
CU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Al Forkan attended as the chief guest. Special guests included Professor Dr. Sheikh Bakhtiar Uddin of the Botany Department, Professor Dr. Shamsul Huda of the Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences and Sheikh Abdullah Yaseen, president of ‘Ek Takay Brikkhoropon’.
The keynote address was delivered by Professor Dr. Md. Manzurul Kibria, Vice Chancellor of BGC Trust University Bangladesh and a noted environmentalist and Halda River researcher. He said plastic does not decompose easily in the environment and gradually breaks down into microplastics, which can cause various health problems in humans. He called for reducing plastic use and increasing tree planting across the country.
He also noted that the country lacks sufficient tree cover, and the widespread cutting of trees poses a serious environmental threat. Deforestation in hilly areas, he said, has already led to landslides and other environmental disasters. He urged planting suitable trees in appropriate locations as a necessary step to restore ecological balance.