What's happening?

Given Bangladesh's agricultural foundation, the ongoing debate about the balance between agriculture and the environment is particularly pressing amid the country's rapidly changing climate. In response, students from Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) explored potential solutions within agriculture itself during a workshop titled "Agricultural Environment: A Road to Redemption" held on May 3, 2019. Over 70 students from various BAU departments participated in the workshop, organized by the BAU Green Icon Chapter.

1st Environmental Autumn School, 2019 (EAS) on ‘Climate Change & Refugee’ was a six days residential program that was organized by Strategy for Environmental Development Foundation (SED). Participants of this program were undergraduate and graduate students of domestic and international universities. Total 40 participants were selected to take part in the schooling program among which 28 were female and 2 were international students. The issue of climate change is of cardinal importance for a country like Bangladesh whose very existence in its present form is being threatened by factors like global warming and others. The gravity of the problem is recognized by the international community though we are yet to witness serious programs of intervention by the former to redress the situation. For one thing, loss of land due to climate change not only compels the victims to relocate themselves but it is simultaneously accompanied by threat to profession, challenge of physical substance or dilution of community bonds and ties. These and other related problems comprise the underlying theme of this year Autumn School. The eminent scholars and academics have visited the school and gave their lectures on the issue.

21st October was the opening of the schooling program when participants from many places and countries were brought in Sheikh Hasina National Youth Center on an Icebreaking Ceremony conducted by Prof. Dr. Md Monowar Hossain of Depeartment of Zoology, Jahangirnagar University. Participants got the interdisciplinary taste from that session to know the correlation between ecological balance and sound environment. After that session, participants were oriented with the rigorous program schedule of school and prepared themselves.

From 21st October to 25th October, participants were delighted with popular academics and environmental activists like Ms. Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Chief Executive, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association; Md. Asaduzzaman, Associate Professor and Head, Department of Law and Human Rights, Asia Pacific University; Naser Alam, Barrister-at-law and energy law specialist; Bahreen Khan, Assistant Professor & Chairperson, Department of Law and Justice, Southeast University and Executive Member, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association; A.B.M. Imdadul Haque Khan, Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh and Assistant Professor and Chairman, Department of Law, Eastern University; Sadia Siraj, Assistant Professor & Chairperson, Department of Law and Justice, Southeast University; Md. Mostafa Hosain, Assistant Professor, School of Law, BRAC University; Sharaban Tahura Zaman, Lecturer, Department of Law, North South University; Mohammed Golam Sarwar, Lecturer, Department of Law, University of Dhaka; Khandaker Raquib, Senior Lecturer, Anthropology Department, BRAC University, Fariha Abedin, Senior Lecturer, Department of Law, East West University; Riad Mahmud, Lecturer, Department of Law, East West University; Ayesha Saleh, Lecturer, Department of Law, Jagannath University; Moinuddin Kadir, Judicial Magistrate, Narsingdi, and other residential instructors.

Sessions were conducted on various topics encircling environment, climate change, Law and legal systems, refugee and displacement and many other things. The sessions were devised in a way so that the schooling would be enough for a participant to learn everything needed to step in the field of environment and refugee. Besides, the sessions were interactive including activities like, group discussions, Q/A sessions, Group work. For making participants acquainted with the procedures of international and national environmental bodies, participants were asked to submit a draft convention and policy.

The night of 25th October was remarkable to participants due to BBQ party and cultural Program. On that very day, participants presented final argument and presentation on draft convention and policy. As announced before, an examination among participants took place on the Day six (26th October) of EAS. After the examination, participants checked out from venue to join closing ceremony. The result of the examination was declared in the closing ceremony of the school.

The Closing Ceremony of EAS took place at the Waterfall Restaurant and Convention Hall on Saturday, 26th October 2019 after completion of 6 day long residential program. Participants of the school received their certificate at the Closing Ceremony from Mr. Justice Mirza Hussain Haider, Honorable Judge of Appellate Division, Supreme Court of Bangladesh and Mr. Shah Monjurul Hoque, Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh. The convener of the program A.B.M. Imdadul Haque Khan gave his welcome note and focused the climate change issue and refugee problem. Mamata Shrestha, one of the foreign participant and Arafat Ibnul Bashar, another participant expressed their feeling about the EAS. Javed Rasin, President of SED was chair of the program and gave his vote of thanks. Apart from the participants and volunteers other members of SED were present in the closing ceremony.