Photo : BSS

BAGERHAT, Dec 6, 2025 (BSS) - Marking the International Volunteer Day, members of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society's Bagerhat unit have begun cleaning sewage and accumulated waste from the old jail pond, one of the most important water bodies in the heart of the city.

Deputy Commissioner Golam Md. Baten inaugurated the voluntary programme on Saturday morning. Bagerhat Unit Vice President Professor Mostahidul Alam Robi, General Secretary Mahbubur Rahman Tutul and other Red Crescent members were present at the launch.

Local residents expressed satisfaction with the long-awaited initiative.

Abul Kalam, a tea stall owner near the pond, said the water body has long been essential to daily life. "We used to meet many of our daily water needs from this pond. Its water was once widely used by local hotels and restaurants. But although water problems have persisted for years, no one took steps to resolve them. We are very happy that Red Crescent volunteers have come forward to clean the pond," he said.

Professor Mostahidul Alam Robi said more than a hundred volunteers began the cleanup operation early in the morning and expected to finish by afternoon. He added that plans were underway to keep water bodies across the city clean and to maintain cleanliness around key institutions including hospitals, mosques and temples.

Mahbubur Rahman Tutul, the newly elected General Secretary of the Red Crescent Bagerhat Unit, said the initiative belongs not just to the organisation but to the people of Bagerhat as a whole. He urged all conscious citizens to come forward and participate in community cleanliness efforts.