Speakers urged authorities to restore public access to a Muktarpara pond, appoint swimming instructors and promote competitions to reduce drowning risks among children and adolescents.
A public awareness rally was held in Bangladesh’s Netrakona district on Saturday to mark World Drowning Prevention Day, with speakers calling for wider swimming training, a district-level swimming competition and better access to safe ponds for children and young people.
The programme was held at 11:30 am on the bank of the pond at the Deputy Commissioner’s bungalow in Muktarpara area of Netrakona town under the theme “Learn swimming, save lives”.
Netrakona is a district surrounded by rivers, canals, wetlands, haors and ponds, where children and others die from drowning every year.
The rally was organised with support from the environmental organisation BARCIK. Swimming instructors, children and guardians attended the event, which was held as part of efforts to raise awareness about drowning prevention.
The event was moderated by Alpana Begum, a journalist trained on drowning prevention by Shomosti, an organisation that provides training to journalists in Bangladesh and abroad.
Speakers at the rally included swimming instructors Abdul Mannan and Mukhlesur Rahman, guardian Shahjahan Kabir and BARCIK programme officer Khadija Akter Lita.
The speakers demanded that swimming competitions be arranged in the district. They also urged the Bangladesh Shishu Academy and other relevant authorities to expand activities promoting the importance of swimming.
They called for the cancellation of the lease of the only pond available for swimming in the Muktarpara area, which they said had been given to traders. They demanded that the pond be cleaned of waste, made suitable for swimming and opened to the public.
Those who are teaching swimming on private initiative demanded that swimming instructors be appointed from the district level down to the union level, and that swimming competitions be observed nationally through such efforts.
They said the initiative would reduce the risk of drowning and help keep children and adolescents away from drugs.
Participants also pledged to continue awareness activities from their own sense of responsibility.
Netrakona Deputy Commissioner Khandaker Mushfiqur Rahman said swimming competitions would be arranged from August.
He said not only swimming but all kinds of extracurricular sports would also be organised.
“Swimming is a very important issue,” he said, adding that keeping ponds clean was essential.
He assured that the pond would be cleaned and that the matter would be looked into seriously.
