Photo : BSS

By Ridwan Ahmed

CHITTAGONG UNIVERSITY, June 23, 2026 (BSS) - Students arrived carrying used plastic. In return, they walked away with storybooks, novels and collections of essays. Surrounded by book-loving students and a message of environmental protection, an organisation named 'Books for Plastic' hosted a unique event titled 'Cultivation of Purity 4.0' at the Zero Point of Chittagong University (CU) today.

The daylong programme, beginning from 9:00 am, allowed students to collect books free of cost by depositing used plastic bottles and other plastic items.

'Books for Plastic' General Secretary Saidur Rahman said that around 150 books were distributed during the event. In exchange, more than 17 kilograms of plastic bottles and plastic waste were collected.

The programme, titled 'Cultivation of Purity 4.0,' aimed to reduce plastic pollution, encourage reading habits among young people and raise awareness about environmental conservation. Under the programme guidelines, participants were eligible to receive one book by submitting at least five plastic bottles or other plastic items.

Organisers said plastic pollution has become a major environmental threat, while reading habits among the younger generation have also declined compared to previous years. Keeping these concerns in mind, they launched the initiative of exchanging books for plastic waste.

'Books for Plastic' President Mukul Chandra Roy said "This initiative not only creates opportunities for recycling and proper management of plastic waste but also encourages interest in reading books. We plan to continue such activities in the future. We believe that small awareness-building efforts like this can eventually lead to significant positive change."

The programme was inaugurated by CU Acting Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Mohammad Al-Amin. 

Praising the initiative, he said, "This is an excellent initiative. It will contribute to bringing positive changes to society."

Among the special guests was Pro-Vice Chancellor (Admin) Prof. Dr. Md. Shafiqul Islam. Provost of Surya Sen Hall Prof. Dr. Syed Muhammad Shamsul Huda attended as an invited guest. Lecturer of the Department of Persian Language and Literature Mizanur Rahman and Lecturer of the Department of Arabic Md. Omar Faruk were also present.

The organisation 'Books for Plastic' was founded in 2023 by former CU students Asaduzzaman Bulbu and Masud Rana. Since its establishment, it has organised four daylong 'Books for Plastic' programmes.