A cleanliness and mosquito eradication drive titled ‘Cleaning Day’ began at Dhaka University (DU) on Saturday.
The campaign carries the themes “Green and Clean Campus First” and “Porichhonnotar Obhyas Kori, Pranabonto Campus Gori”.
The campaign was inaugurated at the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) area. The initiative was organised by the DU unit of Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal. It is being conducted in collaboration with Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and the DU administration. The programme details were announced earlier at a views-exchange meeting on 17 September.
DSCC Administrator Md Abdus Salam attended the event as chief guest, while DU Vice-Chancellor ABM Obaidul Islam opened the drive.
Addressing the event, Salam said the country had embarked on a democratic journey after 17 years. He stressed that it was not yet time to overthrow the government or pursue a one-point demand, urging everyone to remain patient.
Highlighting DU’s historical role, Salam said its teachers and students must lead efforts to transform the country’s present condition, as the university had always guided the nation.
Referring to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s ‘Clean City, Green City’ vision, he said the DSCC had provided 200 dustbins for the campus. The corporation is also ready to supply more if needed. He urged the authorities to prevent students from littering roads, the TSC area and other parts of the campus.
He also offered to deploy permanent DSCC cleaning staff if requested by the VC.
Salam also called for regulating hawkers around the TSC, Shahbagh and Central Shaheed Minar areas. He proposed that the university administration prepare a formal roster and issue ID cards to the hawkers.
He stressed that the Shaheed Minar is a symbol of national heritage and pride and must be kept clean at all times.
In his address, VC Obaidul called on students to develop personal awareness about cleanliness. He said cleanliness was an integral part of faith and could not be forced but must come from internal moral responsibility.
He stressed that cleanliness efforts should continue throughout the year rather than being limited to a single day.
The VC also said a 30-member delegation from Japan was scheduled to visit Dhaka in the first week of next February to clean the city. He described it as unfortunate that the country was viewed internationally as lagging behind in cleanliness.
He urged everyone to take collective responsibility for ensuring that not a single piece of polythene, tissue paper or peanut shell was left behind after any event at DU.
DU Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Abdus Salam, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Mohammed Almujaddade Alfasane, Proctor M Maksudur Rahman, and DU Chhatra Dal General Secretary Nahiduzzaman Shipon, along with other university officials and Chhatra Dal leaders, attended the event.
