Chattogram removed 135 tonnes of waste on Saturday as about 6,200 government employees, students, environmental activists and residents joined the first day of a month-long campaign aimed at making the district cleaner and more visually appealing.
Led by Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Zahidul Islam Mian, the drive covered 3,225 government buildings, residential properties and educational institutions across the district. The programme began with a procession from the Chattogram Circuit House under the slogan, “Clean our towns and villages, build an aesthetic Chattogram,” the district administration said in a press release.
The administration described the initiative as a large-scale clean-up operation because of the number of participants involved and the volume of waste removed in a single day.
Government offices, public residential areas, buildings at the upazila level and educational institutions carried out clean-up activities simultaneously.
Students from different educational institutions, representatives of environmental organisations and people from various professions joined government officials and employees in the campaign.
“We do not want to make people do this through pressure or force,” Zahidul Islam Mian said. “We want to turn cleanliness into a habit.”
According to the district administration, the campaign covers 416 buildings belonging to 131 government offices, 108 buildings in eight government residential areas, 406 buildings at the upazila level and 2,295 schools.
Roofs, courtyards and surrounding areas of the buildings and schools are being cleared of accumulated rubbish. A total of 135 tonnes of waste was removed during the first day, the administration said.
The campaign will continue throughout the month rather than being limited to its opening day.
Officials will collect data every Saturday on the volume of waste removed from each location. Photographs showing the buildings and areas before and after cleaning will also be preserved.
“We will receive reports on how much waste has been removed and collected,” the Deputy Commissioner said. “We are also collecting photographs showing the previous condition of the buildings and the changes following the clean-up. Officials have been instructed accordingly.”
The day began with a procession from the Circuit House that travelled through Kazir Dewri, the Chattogram Officers’ Club and the Radisson Blu area before returning to the Circuit House.
Clean-up activities were later carried out in the courtyard of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office at Court Hill, the lawyers’ building and the roof of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office.
Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Dr Shahadat Hossain; Chattogram Development Authority Chairman Engineer Belayet Hossain; Divisional Commissioner Dr Md Ziauddin; Chattogram Range Deputy Inspector General Md Moniruzzaman, who has been promoted to additional inspector general; Chattogram Metropolitan Police Commissioner Hasan Md Shawkat Ali; and Superintendent of Police Md Masud Alam joined the programme alongside senior officials from different government offices.
Zahidul Islam Mian said the initiative was intended to do more than remove rubbish. Its broader goal was to create lasting habits of cleanliness and help build a healthy nation and a more humane society.
“We believe that sound thinking requires a healthy body and a healthy mind,” he said. “When the environment is unhealthy, sound thinking, a healthy body and a healthy mind are not possible.”
The Deputy Commissioner also stressed the need to ensure a healthy environment for future generations.
“We have started this programme with everyone to establish a healthy Bangladesh and a healthy society for the next generation,” he said.
The administration wants to make cleanliness part of daily life by encouraging voluntary public participation rather than applying administrative pressure, he added.
Zahidul Islam Mian said a country’s environment and the quality of civic life were also connected to its international image in an era of globalisation.
“We want a clean Bangladesh. We want to transform Bangladesh,” he said. “We are working to present a strong position for Bangladesh on the world map, along with the image of a healthy environment and a beautiful society.”
The district administration said the campaign would continue after the extensive first-day operation.
Progress at government offices, public housing and educational institutions will be monitored throughout the month. The programme will be evaluated using the volume of waste removed each Saturday and photographs taken before and after the clean-up.
