Sheikh Mohammad Tajul Islam:

Experts including environmental activists believe that investigative journalism can play a very important role in coastal livelihood and environmental protection. They said that through investigative journalism, the picture of life and nature disaster including encroachment and pollution of rivers and water bodies and destruction of mountains and forests should be properly presented in the media. Through this, policy-makers can take positive steps in public interest. At the same time it plays an important role in creating public awareness.

They said this at the inauguration of a two-day online training workshop on ‘Environment and Coast’ for media workers on Monday (September 4, 2023). Nikhil Chandra Bhadra, coordinator of ‘Sundarbans and Coast Protection Movement’ presided over the program. The opening ceremony of the workshop organized by ‘Waterkeepers Bangladesh and Sundarbans’ and ‘Environment Protection Movement’.

Former President of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul, Coordinator of Waterkeepers-Bangladesh Sharif Jamil, Central Joint Secretary of Bangladesh Environment Movement (Bapa) Md. Noor Alam Sheikh, Bapa Cox’s Bazar District Committee President Fazlul Quader Chowdhury, ‘Coastal Voice’ General Secretary Kaushik Dey, DUJ Cultural Editor Sakila Parveen, Daily English Times Special Correspondent Sheikh Mohammad Tajul Islam etc. spoke on the occasion.

Media personality Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul highlighted the importance of global investigative journalism in the workshop. He said investigative journalism is the life of journalism. It is this journalism that can keep a journalist alive forever. So, for new information one has to go deeper into the incident. New information should be discovered and presented to the public.
He also said that the livelihood of the coast is always at risk. Therefore, the responsibility of the journalists on the coast is also high. There should be highlighted the issues of irregularities and corruption in the implementation of public and private projects to highlight the issues of future crises and risks through research. In this case, the country and national interest should be taken into consideration. He urged the journalists to play a more responsible role in protecting life and nature including coastal environment.

Sharif Jamil, the leader of the environmental movement, expressed fear that the environmental disaster is leading the country towards a human disaster. We have started a war with nature by encroaching and polluting rivers and water bodies. In addition to encroachment and pollution, the biodiversity and environment of the entire coast including Cox’s Bazar is under threat due to unplanned industrialization. Mountains and forests are also devastated.

Therefore, in the thoughts and writings of journalists, the issue of protecting life and nature including coasts, sea beaches, mountains and Sundarbans should be given importance. Besides taking planned steps to deal with the risk of climate change, he urged to give importance to the issue of environmental protection including rivers in the development plan.

‘Bapa’ leader Noor Alam Sheikh said that environment and biodiversity are being destroyed by using government money, power and resources. People’s money is being looted through corruption and irregularities in the name of new development projects. This trend is more in coastal areas including Cox’s Bazar. He demanded to stop it.

Journalist and Bapa leader Fazlul Quader Chowdhury said that the construction of illegal structures should be stopped by dividing the beach in Inani of Cox’s Bazar by destroying the environment. The direction of the High Court should be implemented quickly to free the Bankkhali and Kohelia rivers from encroachment.
In the event, it was informed that this training workshop was organized for journalists working in all districts and upazilas of the coast. 32 journalists from Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar participated in this training. Before this, 31 journalists from Khulna region and 27 journalists from Barisal region participated in the second round.

Sharing is caring!