The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) has launched its first-ever Green Response Olympiad, an innovative initiative aimed at fostering creative solutions to environmental challenges.
The event, held at the national headquarters, saw participation from 11 units, with Narayanganj Unit emerging as the champion, reads a press release.
Narayanganj Unit was awarded the top prize for their outstanding solutions to environmental conservation.
The National Headquarters team and Dinajpur Unit were named first and second runners-up, respectively.
Professor Dr. M. U. Kabir Chowdhury, Chairman of BDRCS, inaugurated the final round of the Olympiad. “It is our responsibility to prevent environmental damage,” he said. “I am hopeful that this Olympiad will bring forth creative and effective solutions to ensure a safe and green world for future generations.
Special guest Mohammad Abdul Wadud Chowdhury, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, expressed optimism about the collaboration between the Red Crescent and the government.
“The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, along with other governmental bodies, will work more closely with the Red Crescent to prevent environmental damage,” he stated.
In the preliminary phase, youth volunteers from 68 units of BDRCS proposed various innovative ideas for environmental protection. From these, 11 units, including the national headquarters, advanced to the final round. Participants presented their ideas to a panel of judges, including Dr. Md. Shahidul Islam, Chairman of the Department of Geography and Environmental Science at Dhaka University; Dr. Fatema Akhter, Chairperson of the Department of Meteorology; and Sheikh Mohammad Mehedi Ahsan, Country Representative of IUCN.
Dr. Md. Shahidul Islam praised the participants for their creativity. “The solutions presented by these young volunteers are not only innovative but also practical. They have shown that our youth can lead the way in environmental conservation,” he said.
The event was organized by the Disaster and Climate Risk Management Department of BDRCS, with Director Imam Jafar Sadequ at the helm. Attendees included society management board members Munshi Kamruzzaman Kajal, Adv. Sohana Tahmina, Adv. Md. Mahbubur Rahman Talukdar, Secretary General Kazi Shafiqul Azam, and directors of various departments. International support came from the Swedish Red Cross and the German Red Cross.
Alberto Bocanegra, IFRC Head of Delegation, and Anna Mariequina, Acting Country Representative of the German Red Cross, emphasized the importance of international cooperation in environmental initiatives. “BDRCS is committed to building a pollution-free, beautiful, green natural world,” said Bocanegra.
