Ahead of the upcoming national elections, the Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) and the Bangladesh Environment Network (BEN) have initiated a massive nationwide campaign to ensure environmental protection becomes a core political agenda. Delegations from various regional branches are actively meeting with parliamentary candidates across the country, handing over a memorandum of recommendations and strongly urging political parties to explicitly include national and local environmental protection strategies in their election manifestos.
The environmental campaign has reached the highest tiers of political leadership. In Cumilla, Prof. Matin Saikat—a National Environment and Agriculture Award-winning Agricultural Important Person (AIP), BAPA National Council Member, Cumilla BAPA Vice President, and Daudkandi BAPA Chief Advisor—personally handed over the recommendations to BNP Standing Committee Member Dr. Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain during a brief meeting at his village home, Goyeshpur Shantir Neer. Similarly, representatives of the BAPA Chakaria branch presented the charter alongside organizational publications to current State Minister and BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed, the candidate for Cox’s Bazar-1 (Chakaria-Pekua).
The initiative saw massive traction in the Khulna region across party lines. BAPA Central Member and Khulna District Coordinator Adv. Md. Babul Howlader handed the memorandum to Khulna-2 BNP candidate Nazrul Islam Manju. In the same constituency, BAPA’s district and metropolitan branches delivered the charter to Jamaat-e-Islami’s Khulna Metropolitan Ameer Prof. Mahfuzur Rahman, Adv. Jahangir Hossain Helal, and independent candidate Mufti Amanullah. Meanwhile, in Khulna-3, the local BAPA branch engaged with BNP Central Student Affairs Secretary Alhaj Rakibul Islam Bokul, Jatiya Party’s Khulna Metropolitan General Secretary Abdullah Al Mamun, Basad’s Janardan Datta Nantu, independent S.M. Arifur Rahman Mithu, and Islami Andolan Bangladesh’s Central Nayeb-e-Ameer Principal Maulana Abdul Awal. The Khulna branch also reached BNP’s Azizul Bari Helal in Khulna-4 and Jatiya Party’s Shamim Ara Parvin Yasmin in Khulna-5.
In the northern and Rajshahi divisions, the environmental dialogue continued vigorously. The BAPA Rajshahi branch presented their recommendations to Rajshahi-5 (Durgapur-Puthia) BNP candidate Prof. Nazrul Islam Mondal following a local exchange meeting, and to Jamaat candidate Principal Nazmul in Rajshahi-6 (Charghat-Bagha). BAPA’s Natore branch engaged with BNP’s Adv. M. Ruhul Quddus Talukdar Dulu and Jamaat’s Prof. Yunus Ali, both in Natore-2. Further north, BNP candidates Fazle Huda Babul (Naogaon-3) and Md. Zahidur Islam Dholu (Naogaon-5), alongside CPB’s Shafiqul Islam (Naogaon-5), received the memorandums from the Naogaon branch. In Panchagarh, BNP candidate Farhad Hossain Azad (Panchagarh-2) received the memorandum twice in separate instances from the Panchagarh and Rangpur district branches, while Jatiya Nagorik Party’s Sarjis Alam (Panchagarh-1) was engaged by the local Panchagarh team. Additionally, the Chatmohar branch handed the charter—along with a special booklet on the Boral River—to a representative of Pabna-3 BNP candidate Hasan Jafir Tuhin.
Activists maintained a strong presence across other major districts as well. The BAPA Cumilla branch delivered the charter to BNP’s Principal Md. Selim Bhuiyan and Jamaat’s Molla Nazim Uddin in Cumilla-2 (Homna-Titas), as well as Khelafat Majlish’s Md. Solaiman Khan in Cumilla-7 (Chandina). Daudkandi BAPA reached Islami Andolan’s Maulana Md. Bashir Ahmed in Cumilla-1. In Mymensingh-4, both Jamaat’s Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan and Ganosamhati Andolon’s Mostafizur Rahman were briefed by the local branch. Additionally, BAPA Tangail engaged their own Joint Secretary Awal Mahmud, who is contesting from Tangail-8 under the Biplobi Workers Party. Independent candidates Md. Monirul Islam (Narail-2) and Md. Mazharul Islam (Kishoreganj-1) were approached by their respective district branches. In Satkhira-2, District Committee General Secretary Madhab Chandra Dutta personally delivered the document to Jasad candidate Md. Idris Ali, while representatives from the BAPA Gazipur branch also actively participated in the nationwide handover.
Beyond direct candidate engagement, BAPA is fostering vital grassroots awareness. A major exchange meeting at the Chatmohar Press Club in Pabna—jointly organized by BAPA, BEN, Chalanbeel Rakha Andolon, and Boral Rakha Andolon—highlighted the urgent need to preserve regional water bodies. By pressing policymakers on the eve of the elections, environmental advocates hope to secure actionable, long-term political commitments to safeguard Bangladesh’s fragile ecology.
