Small Creative Initiatives Can Change Society, Dhaka District Commissioner Says at Waves of Life Closing

Small creative initiatives, not only large programmes, can play a role in changing society on environmental protection, Dhaka District Commissioner and District Magistrate Farida Khanam has said.

If the balance of the environment cannot be protected, the future of Bangladesh will become uncertain, she said, calling on everyone to use the technical skills, talent and creativity of the younger generation to protect the environment and conserve biodiversity.

She made the remarks on Thursday afternoon as chief guest at the closing and prize-giving ceremony of the five-day national environmental photography exhibition and competition Waves of Life, held at Gallery 2 of the National Art Gallery building of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Segunbagicha.

Farida Khanam said large state initiatives alone do not change society. Small ideas and creative work can also leave a lasting impact on people's minds.

Many crises in society are not always visible, she noted, and identifying them makes it possible to create a path to solutions.

Sharing her own experience, she described the removal of waste from a huge dumping yard in Savar municipality, where a pile about 30 feet high was cleared using 1,000 trucks removing around 10,000 tonnes of waste. She later told the prime minister that the place where the prime minister stood had been prepared by clearing that waste, and the prime minister expressed satisfaction and urged other districts to play a role in environmental protection.

Turning to sea pollution, the district commissioner said people rush to the sea hoping for a clean environment and fresh air, yet that same sea is suffering various forms of pollution, and pollution of the seabed and the crisis of marine biodiversity must be considered.

The sea, hills, rivers and water bodies do not only add to natural beauty, she reminded the audience; people's lives and livelihoods, food security and economic resources are also tied to them.

Protecting the environment is everyone's responsibility, she said. No one alone can change the whole society, but collective initiative can bring big change, and everyone must work from their own position.

The five-day exhibition and competition, jointly organised by YouthForOcean, Waterkeepers Bangladesh and Mission Green Bangladesh, began on October 18. Its main aim was to present Bangladesh's marine biodiversity, aquatic life and livelihoods and environmental crises through photography. Selected photographs collected from across the country were displayed, alongside discussion and training sessions on nature conservation, marine ecosystems and the ethics of photojournalism.

Among those present were Sharif Jamil, country coordinator of Waterkeepers Bangladesh and mentor and adviser to YouthForOcean, national award-winning animal rights activist Adnan Azad, and Mir Mohammad Ali, assistant professor in the aquaculture department of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University. The judging panel included photographer Abir Abdullah, environmental activist and editor Faisal Ahmed and marine researcher Mafiz Rahman.

Based on judges' assessments combined with direct audience votes, the best photographers in three categories — marine biodiversity, aquatic life and livelihoods and coastal pollution, and energy and environment — received crests, certificates and cash prizes.