Prime Minister Tarique Rahman calls for stronger school-led environmental awareness, warns of plastic pollution in rivers, and outlines plans for healthcare outreach, railway expansion and youth engagement initiatives.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has called for stronger initiatives in schools to raise environmental awareness among children, especially in city corporation areas.
He made the remarks on Saturday afternoon at a civic gathering held at the Sylhet City Corporation premises.
Highlighting growing environmental challenges, the prime minister warned that layers of plastic waste have accumulated in rivers, making the water toxic. He stressed the need to build public awareness around the issue, urging schools in urban areas to take active steps in educating children about environmental protection and river conservation.
Rahman also said the government has begun implementing promises made to the people. “We have introduced Family Cards and Farmer Cards. We have also launched the ‘Notun Kuri Sports’ programme to encourage children to participate in sports,” he said.
On infrastructure, he noted that the government is focusing not only on road transport but also on expanding railway connectivity. He cautioned that widening roads often results in more vehicles, worsening traffic congestion, while also damaging agricultural land. In this context, he said there is a plan to convert the Dhaka–Sylhet railway line into a double track.
The prime minister further stressed the importance of preventive healthcare, saying countries like Bangladesh must focus not only on treatment but also on disease prevention. To support this, the government plans to recruit 100,000 health workers, 80 percent of whom will be women.
These workers will go door to door in villages to raise awareness about health and nutrition, informing people about which foods, when consumed excessively, can lead to various diseases, he added.
