Sylhet Bureau

An orientation meeting of the 'Young People Building Urban Resilience in Bangladesh' project—jointly implemented by Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) and Friends In Village Development Bangladesh (FIVDB)—was held on the morning of Monday at the City Corporation’s conference room.

Speaking as the chief guest, Mohammad Rezai Rafin Sarkar, Chief Executive Officer of SCC, said that Bangladesh is a disaster-prone country where various calamities occur frequently, and thus, it is crucial to keep youth volunteers prepared at all times to respond effectively to disasters. He emphasized the importance of having trained young people ready to assist others, especially during natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes.

In his welcome speech, Fahim Sarwar, Director of FIVDB, explained that the core objective of this project is to enhance public awareness of climate resilience, adapt to changing weather conditions, and facilitate easier access to climate-related public services for urban slum dwellers through skill development among young men and women.

The project will be implemented in wards 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27 of the city. Under this initiative, 1,250 young individuals will be trained and prepared as community volunteers. 

The project also aims to empower urban communities to become self-reliant in disaster prevention ; raise awareness of disaster preparedness and services among marginalized urban populations ; support youth engagement in climate adaptation activities and increase participation of slum residents and urban communities in national and local decision-making processes to reduce disaster risks.Special guests at the meeting wss  Md. Ashik Noor, Secretary of SCC, and Nur Azizur Rahman, Chief Engineer.Other speakers included Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury, Project Lead from FIVDB; Dr. Md. Zahidul Islam, Chief Health Officer of SCC; Lt. Col. (Retd.) Eklim Abedin, Chief Waste Management Officer; Badru lHuda, Assistant Director of the Department of Environment; Abdul Karim Kim, General Secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA); Mahfuzur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner of Sylhet Metropolitan Police; Abul Fazal Khokon, Slum Development Officer at SCC; Tasmia Tasrik, Assurance Officer at FIVDB; Joydev Biswas, Assistant Engineer of SCC; and Nehar Ranjan Purkayastha, Public Relations Officer, among others.