On National River Day (Bangladesh), a bicycle rally with a workshop held and a week-long art exhibition inaugurated
On May 23, 2025, at 5 pm, a discussion meeting titled “River of Life”, the inauguration of a painting exhibition, and a cycle rally were organized at Gallery No. 7 of the National Art Gallery of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. The organizer was the non-governmental organization Nongor Trust. The program was organized to mark the twentieth anniversary of NONGOR . News Press Release.
It is worth noting that in 2023, four environmental organizations announced the celebration of National River Day of Bangladesh on May 23 and decided to celebrate May 23 as National River Day every year. The four nvironmental organizations are Humanity Foundation, Nongor Bangladesh, SAFE Development Foundation, and Initiative for Peace. Since no initiative has been taken by the Bangladesh government in this regard, the said environmental organizations have decided to celebrate the day themselves to create awareness.
A discussion meeting chaired by Nongor Trust Chairman Suman Shams included attendees Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Advisor on Water Resources and Environment for the Bangladesh Government, and guest speakers Mohammad Lutfur Rahman, Director General of WARPO, Zakia Shishir, Chief Coordinator of the Haor Area Residents’ Organization, Shamsul Alam, Naval Architect and Convener of the Dhaka Gendaria Pond Protection Movement, and Ibrahim Ahmed Ripon from Nongor Trust.
At the beginning of the program, a minute’s of silence was observed in memory of the 20,000 martyrs who died in Lunch accidents in the rivers of Bangladesh in the last 54 years. In his speech, Chairman of the Anchor Trust, Suman Shams, said, “The rivers of Bangladesh are not just water flows, they are part of our lives, love, and sometimes a source of grief.” May 23 reminds us of the tragic boat accident in the Meghna River. He mentioned that almost 20,000 people have died in boat accidents over the past 54 years, including his mother, Acia Khatun, in a launch accident. The river and wildlife protection organization, Anchor Trust, has continued its work of public awareness for the past twenty years. On National River Day, we honor both the river’s beauty and the memories of those lost in it. He urged the Bangladesh government to declare May 23 as ‘National River Day’ to honor the memory of those who died in rivers.
As the chief guest, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Advisor on Water Resources and Environment, announced that the government plans to eliminate illegal encroachments and clean four rivers near Dhaka. The rivers are Buriganga River, Turag River, Balu River and Shitalakshya River.
She said, ‘This time, with the help of the World Bank, we will initially try to start the work of removing the encroachment and depollution of the Turag River and an action plan is being finalized for this purpose.’
She stated that, alongside removing illegal structures and dredging, the riverbanks should be marked and cleaned. The Department of Environment needs to enhance its capacity to effectively monitor and manage industrial waste by communicating with the industrial owners along the riverbank.
Rizwana Hasan said, “Bangladesh will not survive if the rivers are not saved. She stated that after the interim government assumed office, it implemented plans to clean and restore 19 canals in Dhaka quickly and began cost-effective dredging. The Bangladesh Water Development Board, Dhaka North City Corporation, and the Local Government Department created a joint action plan. Then the work was started in a joint plan. The aim of this is to reduce waterlogging in Dhaka city and prevent some places from being submerged in rainwater.
The advisor said, “We have already taken the list of rivers as per the records from the district administrators and it has been published. In addition, a list of 64 rivers from 64 districts has been made for occupation and depollution. But out of these, we have singled out 11 rivers for which we will try to start work by adopting detailed action plans.”
The advisor believes that discussions and picture exhibitions can help people become more focused on rivers and the environment. She stated that when people unite to protect rivers, the government won’t be able to stay inactive for long.
The advisor cut the ribbon to open the week-long painting exhibition “River of Life” for National River Day 2025 and toured the artworks. She inaugurated a bicycle rally at the National Art Gallery with river workers for National River Day.
The painting exhibition included 400 works from 50 renowned artists, along with 300 pieces by child artists, including 50 child artists with autism.
The painting exhibition featured 40 participating artists, along with social activist Mehnaz Parveen and Aminul Islam Tubbus, President of the Bangladesh Cycle Lane Implementation Council, and Md., President of the Dhaka University Cycling Club. Touhidur Rahman, President of Dhanmondi Cyclist, Mohammad Tahazzat Hossain, and Team Freedom Founder Admin Saiful Islam Joy, among others. Environmentalists, social workers, and NGO workers from the country’s river protection organizations participated. The art exhibition will continue throughout the week.
