Youth activists in Koyra staged a climate strike and human chain, urging Bangladesh to end fossil fuel investments and adopt renewable energy solutions to protect vulnerable coastal communities from climate impacts.
A global climate strike was observed in Koyra, Khulna, demanding the implementation of a renewable energy-based electricity master plan by stopping investment in fossil fuels. Local youth and environmental activists organized the programme on Friday, May 8, in the riverine and climate-vulnerable char areas adjacent to Katkata village in Koyra upazila of Khulna district.
Participants in the human chain, organized jointly by Youth Lab and Youth for Sundarbans Koyra, carried placards and chanted slogans. The organizers mainly demanded climate justice and the generation of electricity from environmentally friendly sources such as solar and wind energy. “Climate justice is the right of coastal residents,” they said.
Youth Lab representative Russell Ahmed said, “Fossil fuels are harming nature. The continuous extraction and use of fossil fuels are creating environmental crises and increasing global warming. As a result, people, animals and resources in coastal villages are being lost. The country’s economy is also being affected.”
Youth for Sundarbans official Nirapar Munda said, “We need to ensure green energy to protect our lives, preserve our resources and keep the world safe for future generations. We must pressure both domestic and foreign stakeholders to reduce the use of fossil fuels. The government must take effective steps to address the climate crisis in Bangladesh.”
Among others, Subrata Munda, Monirul Islam, Sabuj and Sanjay Bain spoke at the programme.
