Meet the Press to Demand Special Allocation for Southwestern Coastal Zone of Bangladesh.

On June 22 at 10 am, the development organization ‘LEDARS,’ the civic organization‘Sundarbans and Coastal Protection Movement,’ and the Satkhira Climate AdvocacyForum organized a “Meet the Press” event after an on-site visit of the current situationin the cyclone Ramal-affected coastal areas. From June 20 to June 22, a delegation ledby prominent media personality Mr. Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul visited the southwesterncoastal area and attended this event.The meet the press event, presided over by Climate Advocacy Forum convenerProfessor Abdul Hamid and conducted by Sundarbans and Coastal ProtectionMovement coordinator Mr. Nikhil Chandra Bhadra, featured speeches from prominentmedia personalities including Mr. Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul, Mr. Md. Aminur Rasul, JointSecretary of BAPA, Mr. Mir Mohammad Ali, Chairman of the Aquaculture Department atSher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Abu Hena Mustafa Kamal, Assistant Professor atKUET, Aminul Haque Bhuiya, Satkhira representative of Channel i, Abul Kalam Azad,staff reporter of Prothom Alo, Kalyan Banerjee, Satkhira representative of DailySangbad Protidin, Asim Baran Chakraborty, correspondent of New Age and SamayerKhobor, Ruhul Kuddus, journalist of Maasranga Television, Mostafizur Rahman ofSamay TV, staff reporter Momtaz Ahmed Bapi, district representative of DBC News MBelal Hossain, staff reporter of Daily Janakantha Mizanur Rahman, editor of DailyDakshin’s Moshal, Principal Asheq E Elahi, executive director of Leaders Mr. MohanKumar Mondal, coordinator of Sundarbans Coastal Protection Movement NikhilChandra Bhadra, and district representative of Bangladesh Television Md. MozzaffarRahman.Mr. Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul stated that the most affected areas by the cyclone arePaikgachha and Koyra Upazilas in Khulna. An on-site visit on June 20 and 21 revealedthat the people there, especially women, are living in dire conditions. Theembankments, houses, roads, fish farms, crops, and social institutions have beendamaged. Sources of potable water have been destroyed. The Sundarbans, aUNESCO World Heritage site, has suffered extensive damage, including the death ofwildlife. Although various relief and rehabilitation measures have been taken by thegovernment and non-governmental organizations, they are insufficient. He called forNGOs to step forward in the post-disaster rehabilitation efforts alongside thegovernment. Earlier, on June 20, at an exchange meeting held in the PaikgachhaUpazila auditorium, he spoke about adopting special plans for the people of thesouthwestern coastal region.