Md. Shofiullah

“Sheikh Mujib is a man of peace, a man of independence and a man of the world. He is not just the Bangabandhu (Friend of Bangladesh), He is also the Viswabandhu (Friend of the World)”—Ramesh Chandra, former Secretary General of the World Peace Council.
Bangabandhu headed the first government of the post-liberation Bangladesh for a period of three years and a half. Starting from scratch his government had to deal with the countless problems of a war ravaged country. Restoring law and order, rehabilating the Mukhtijodhas, restoring the ruptured communication system, saving lives of the people hostile to the War of Liberation from the public wrath, and most importantly, feeding the hungry millions and many other problems bedeviled his administration. Because of his charismatic leadership Bangladesh gained recognition from the international community including the United Nations.
In the conservation of nature and environment of the newly born country the role of Bangabandhu was immense. After independence, he took various effective and visionary steps to protect the nature and environment of the country besides reconstructing the war-torn country.
Geographically, the country falls near the Indo-Burma region – one of the global biodiversity hot-spot and due to its unique geophysical location and a suitable climatic condition is exceptionally endowed with a rich variety of biodiversity. like other region during the last decades Bangladesh also went through a critical period unsuitable for country’s biodiversity and ecosystem. For that reason the visionary leader Bangabandhu took the initial steps to protect the lands biodiversity.
On January 10, 1972, Bangabandhu returned to independent Bangladesh after being freed from Pakistani prison and concentrated on the reconstruction of the country. In response to a foreign journalist’s question, “How will you build the war-torn Bengal?”, Bangabandhu said that day, “I have the green soil of Bengal and the golden people.” Bangabandhu deeply loved the soil, people, environment and nature of this country.Bangabandhu gave priority to environmental development at all times in all development activities. In 1972, he called the officials of the forest department to stop the horse racing in Dhaka’s race course and instructed them to plant coconut trees in a row on the racing track. Bangabandhu planted trees and named it Suhrawardy Udyan and also planted trees in Ganobhaban and Bangabhaban to inspire the people of the country. He called for a green revolution by planting trees at all levels, including around the house and waste land, by starting a nationwide tree planting program to ensure a green and clean environment. Nature-loving Bangabandhu issued various laws and regulations in the country emphasizing the importance of environment and biodiversity in the hope of building Sujala-Sufla Bangladesh. The multifaceted activities undertaken by Bangabandhu to protect the natural balance are still remembered forever. Consistently, Article 18(a) of the Second Part of the Holy Constitution added ‘The State shall preserve and develop the environment for the present and future citizens and shall provide for the conservation and protection of natural resources, biodiversity, wetlands.’ Considering the importance of the environment, Bangabandhu issued the ‘Water Pollution Control Ordinance 1973’ in 1973. In the same year, environmental conservation activities were initiated in independent Bangladesh by adopting the Water Pollution Control Scheme. Bangabandhu issued ‘Chittagong Hill Tracts Forest Transit Rules-1973’ to prevent illegal trafficking of forest resources of Chittagong Hill Tracts. Also, ‘Wildlife Conservation Act-1974’ was enacted during Bangabandhu’s regime to conserve biodiversity. The ‘National Herbarium’ established by Bangabandhu on July 1, 1975 added a new dimension to the conservation and research of plant species. Mongla Ghashiakhali commercial waterway was launched in 1974 by excavating a 6.5 km connecting canal from Ghashiakhali in Morelganj upazila of Bagerhat to Betbunia in Rampal upazila with the help of loop cutting dredging due to the fear of damaging the Sundarbans by the waterways flowing through the chest of Sundarbans by Bangabandhu. In 1972, with Bangabandhu’s visionary thinking, a joint river commission was formed to collect the share of water from the same rivers with India, and to protect the navigability of the river, a dredging agreement was executed with the Dutch government for dredging the river. n 1973, Bangabandhu established the River Research Institute, Bangladesh Haor Development Board, Narayanganj Dredger Department, Flood Forecasting and Warning Center under Bangladesh Water Development Board, construction of ‘Mujib Killa’ to protect life and property from cyclones and establishment of Cyclone Preparedness Program (CPC) in 1973 to prevent natural disasters in Bengal. He took many effective initiatives. But on that darkest night of 15th August 1975, heinous assassins killed the unprecedented leader of the whole Bangali nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Bangabandhu might have been killed physically but his soul is immortal. He lives eternally. Because he is the visionary and the architect of a Nation-state. As long as this country exists, it will exist immortally. The main intention behind Bangabandhu’s murder was to erase his name from Bangladesh’s history. But the conspirators had no idea that his daughter would eventually come to power and take his position. The auspicious beginning of the social awareness-movement to protect the country’s nature-environment-biodiversity under the leadership of Bangabandhu has been strongly continued by the honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Since 2010, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has been awarding the ‘Bangabandhu Award for Wildlife Conservation’ for outstanding contributions in conservation of rare, endangered, endangered plant and wildlife species, education-research, awareness creation etc. The project titled ‘Land Acquisition and Biodiversity Conservation Plan’ has been successfully implemented in 281 municipalities across the country from January 2018 to December 2021 under the direction of the Prime Minister. The project covered – road development, bridge-culvert-drain construction, land acquisition-rehabilitation, biodiversity conservation, canal digging, embankment, pond renovation, beautification, tree plantation. Following the footsteps of the Father of the Nation, the current government is implementing various groundbreaking measures to protect the balance of nature and environment. In 2015, Sheikh Hasina received the UN’s ‘Champions of the Earth’ award for playing an important role in environmental protection and combating climate change. So finally want to say As long as the country is in the hands of Sheikh Hasina (daughter of Father of the nation), Bangladesh will not lose its way. We will fulfill the dream of Bangabandhu’s of Sonar Bangla with the visionary and epoch-making leadership of daughter of the Father of the nation. Finally we mourn in the month of August and say with Annadashankar Roy-
“As long as the Padma, Jamuna, Gauri, and Meghna flow
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, your fame will live on.”
Author: 
Student
Department of Oceanography
Noakhali Science and Technology University.

Sharing is caring!