1,850 kg of plastic and other non-biodegradable waste from Saint Martin’s Island in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, through a two-day clean-up campaign.
The campaign concluded on Saturday afternoon. This was the organisation’s 15th clean-up activity on Saint Martin’s.
More than 500 volunteers, including local residents, professionals from various fields, and students of schools and madrasas on the island, participated in the campaign organised with the support of Unilever Bangladesh.
Keokradong Bangladesh coordinator Muntasir Mamun said, “Over two days, plastic bottles, packets, and various types of non-biodegradable waste were collected from different points of the island’s alleys and beaches.”
He said the organisation had carried out similar activities on the island several times in the past.
Syed Alam, a member of the Saint Martin Union Parishad, said, “The initiative the organisation has been pursuing for the past 15 years plays a major role in keeping the island clean. If everyone takes responsibility in the same way, the environment of Saint Martin’s will improve further.”
Union Parishad Chairman Fayezul Islam said, “Every year thousands of tourists visit the island, resulting in heavy waste accumulation on the beaches. Thanks to Keokradong’s initiative, it has been possible to preserve the island’s beauty.”
Speaking on tourism management, Muntasir Mamun said, “Tourism should be allowed throughout the year, but the number of visitors must be limited to prevent excessive environmental pressure.”
He added, “If the plastic waste left on a small island like Saint Martin’s is not taken to the mainland, its impact could spread across the Bay of Bengal.”
“This small effort of ours was an attempt to minimise that potential damage as much as possible,” he said.
