Awami League government is the first to take initiatives to combat climate change and protect environment, said Md Shahid Ullah Khandker, former senior secretary. 

Md Shahid Ullah Khandker, representative of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to oversee the development works in her constituency Gopalganj-3 (Tungipara -Kotalipara).

Md Shahid Ullah Khandker came up with the statements while addressing a discussion meeting as the chief guest, marking distribution of fruit tree saplings and the National Fisheries Week.

The local upazila administration and agriculture extension department organised the programme  at the Upazila Parishad hall of Kotalipara in Gopalganj on Friday.

Shahid Ullah Khandker said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman first took various projects to protect the Sundarbans in a bid to save the country's environment. He planted shrubs with his own hands to protect Cox's Bazar beach. He personally planted coconut saplings in the Race Course Ground (Suhrawardy Udyan). His daughter Sheikh Hasina has asked everyone to plant at least three trees to protect the country's environment.

“So we responded to the call of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to protect the environment,” he said.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ferdous Wahid presided over the discussion. Deputy Project Director of Floating Bed Vegetable Cultivation Project Dr Vijay Krishna Bishwas, Deputy Director of Gopalganj Agriculture Extension Department Abdul Quader Sardar, Municipal Mayor Matiar Rahman Hazra, Upazila Awami League General Secretary Aynal Hossain Sheikh, Upazila Agriculture Officer Dolan Chandra Roy, Fisheries Officer SM Shajahan Siraj, UP Chairman Aminuzzaman Khan Milan and Upazila Chhatra League general secretary Rafiqul Islam were present in the programme.

Earlier, Shahid Ullah Khandker inaugurated the tree plantation programme of Kotalipara Public Institution (Model) Alumni Association and the fish sanctuary in the canal next to Siki Bazar.