Bid for clean, safe Mymensigh

The seven- member working group of SMI holding its first meeting.. PHOTO: STAR

It was launched at a meeting of leaders and representatives of different walks of life, held at the CANOPY (Community Actions for Nature, Oppressed People and Youth) Training and Resource Centre in the town on Saturday.

Twenty-five 'community leaders' from different sectors attended the meeting with by Mymensingh Municipality Chairman Mahmud Al- Nur Tarek in the chair.

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A seven-member working group was formed to run its activities in six sectors. The members are Gouripur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Kazi Anowarul Haque (social justice), environment scientist NS Chowdhary (environment conservation), business leader Manik Dutt (business and economic affairs), journalist Habibur Rahman Sheikh (political affairs), Prof Md. Motaher Khalid of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) (cultural affairs), Prof Md. Borhan Uddin of BAU (religious affairs) Fulfillment. Laila Jasmin Banu, Executive Director of CANOPY is the its co-ordinator.

Laila told the meeting that SMI would be replication of the Sustainable Kuantan Initiative (SKI), undertaken by the Sustainable Development Network (SUSDEN) in Malaysia, which brought about great changes in community life in that country. SMI is the first such project in Bangladesh, she claimed.

The model was developed by Bishan Singh, Executive Director of Management Institute for Social Change (MINSOC) in Malaysia. Bishan Singh attended the function as chief guest on invitation.

Speaking on the occasion Singh said the SMI will focus on making the townspeople responsible citizens and to make them aware that each of them has responsibilities towards making the town a clean and safe place to live in.

Municipality Chairman Nur Tarek in his speech assured the working group of his full co-operation in making the effort successful.

The meeting also fixed an action plan for three years.