Staff Correspondent

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Water Resources said, a concrete action plan will be formulated to protect Sundarbans.

She made this statement on while presiding over an important meeting on the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), held at the Ministry’s Conference Room on Tuesday.

“The Sundarbans is our only one. We all must come together to save it,” the Adviser emphasized. She stressed the need for not only a solid action plan but also an effective coordination mechanism to ensure implementation.

She noted that if any risks to the Sundarbans are identified, both the Department of Forests and the Department of Environment must immediately raise the issue, prompting timely action by relevant government agencies.

The Advisor also instructed the Department of Environment to monitor the environmental impacts of cement factories in the southwest region. Additionally, she called upon the Ministry to prepare a clear and immediate work plan to determine urgent conservation actions.

Highlighting the importance of a bottom-up process for Sundarbans conservation, she said, “The capacity of the Forest Department must be enhanced to prevent illegal activities.”

The meeting was attended by Dr. Farhina Ahmed, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Mohammad Navid Shafiullah, Additional Secretary; Dr. Fahmida Khanom, Additional Secretary; Dr. Md. Kamruzzaman, Director General, Department of Environment; Md. Amir Hossain Chowdhury, Chief Conservator of Forests; Malik Fida A Khan, Executive Director, CEGIS

Earlier in the day, the Adviser also presided over the Wildlife Advisory Board meeting.