Women鈥檚 rights activists and urban planners at a discussion on Monday called on city mayors to take measures to protect women and children from extreme weather in Dhaka.
Bangladesh Mohila Parishad organised the discussion at its office in the capital with its president Fauzia Moslem in chair. Environment affairs secretary of the parishad Parveen Islam moderated the event.
Fauzia highlighted that women, despite being historically more environmentally conscious, were the worst victims of climate change then. She urged authorities to take swift action to address climate issues.
Bangladesh Institute of Planners president Adil Mohammad Khan noted that the city鈥檚 greenery and wetlands had been grabbed over the years, making it uninhabitable and polluted.
He emphasised the urgency of restoring the city鈥檚 environment.
Speakers criticised government agencies for cutting trees and filling wetlands in the name of development.
Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon vice-president Iqbal Habib argued that city mayors should prioritise services for residents over financial gains, even in terms of open spaces.
Professor Nabanita Islam, head of the architecture department at the University of Asia Pacific, presented a keynote, highlighting the acute health crises, women and children face in the city due to environmental hazards.
She cited media reports, showing increasing rates of premature births and child mortality linked to pollution and advocated for women鈥檚 participation in climate-friendly urban planning and implementation.
Other speakers included Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology architecture professor Shayer Ghafur, Association for Land Reform and Development executive director Shamsul Huda, and BMP joint general secretary Masuda Rehana Begum.