A 15-member coalition committee has been formed in Harirampur to strengthen local efforts against hazardous pesticides and promote pesticide-free agroecological practices.
A 15-member Upazila Green Coalition has been formed in Harirampur, a sub-district of Manikganj in central Bangladesh, following a meeting demanding an immediate halt to the use, production and marketing of banned and highly hazardous pesticides.
The meeting was held on Monday, September 7, 2026, at the BARCIK Harirampur Resource Centre. Its central theme was “Stop the use, production, and marketing of banned and highly hazardous poisons”, alongside a call to “Honor pesticide-free agroecological practices, including the elimination of Paraquat.”
The meeting was chaired by Haripada Sutradhar, a retired teacher from Patgram Anath Bandhu Government High School. Teachers, environmentalists, women and youth representatives, social workers, Union Parishad members and citizens from various professions attended.
Speakers included Gopal Chandra Biswas, retired headmaster of Diyabari High School; Union Parishad members Harun Khan and Aynal Bepari; women’s representative Rekha Rani Halder; Abdul Karim, president of the Harirampur Disability Development Council; social worker Sankar Bhowmik; and BARCIK officials Nazrul Islam and Muktar Hossain.
Participants said the uncontrolled use of hazardous chemicals such as Paraquat posed a severe threat to agriculture, biodiversity and public health. They called for urgent enforcement by the relevant authorities to stop their illegal production and trade.
The meeting also stressed the need for grassroots awareness campaigns to promote safe, environmentally friendly agricultural practices as alternatives to chemical pesticides.
Speakers called for collective local initiatives to protect Harirampur’s wetlands, canals and rivers.
Following the discussion, the 15-member Harirampur Upazila Green Coalition committee was formed to work on environmental and agroecological protection efforts in the area.
