KHULNA, March 12, 2026 (BSS) - Children and youths have expressed strong commitment to raising awareness about climate change, safe food, cyber  bullying, drug addiction and other social issues at a Children and Youth Forum conference held in Khulna. Organised by World Vision's Khulna City Area Programme, the conference was held on Tuesday at the CSS Ava Centre in the city, where around 70 children  and young participants joined the programme. According to the organisers, separate Children and Youth Forums exist in all 31 wards of the Khulna City Corporation (KCC). Each children's forum consists  of 15 members and each youth forum has 13 members, bringing the total number of participants involved in these forums to 896 across the city.  KCC Administrator Nazrul Islam Manju said the government plans to plant five crore saplings in the first year to tackle climate change and hoped the  children and youth forums would support plantation drives across the city's 31 wards. Senior Manager of the programme, Fully Sarker, said the initiative is part of a project aimed at supporting children and other vulnerable groups.  She noted that the Children and Youth Forums are active in all 31 wards of KCC and the development programme will continue until 2035.  Through the project, children and youths are being connected with various government and non-government organisations to build awareness and take  initiatives against child marriage, child abuse and school dropouts. She said the forums have already prevented six child marriages in the past three months and are also working with persons with disabilities.  Currently about 4,000 children are registered under the programme in Khulna and the number is expected to reach 8,000 by 2027. National Child Forum member Samia Jannat said she has been able to work for children through the platform, helping prevent 10 child marriages, planting  500 trees and collecting 25 maunds of plastic waste. Assistant Professor of KUET Dr Anjum Tasnuva presented a multimedia presentation on climate change and adaptation, highlighting its impact on  nature, agriculture and livelihoods. Officials from food safety, women affairs, youth development and police also spoke at the event, stressing the need for awareness and responsible use of  technology to protect children and youths from cyber bullying and other social risks.   

BAGERHAT, March 12, 2026 (BSS) - A mobile court demolished 11 illegal panja system brick kilns in Bagerhat Sadar Upazila on Thursday afternoon. The drive, led by Executive Magistrate Momtaz Begum of the Khulna Divisional Office of the Department of Environment (DoE), also halted wood-fuel-based operations used in the illegally run kilns. The operation was initiated by Asadur Rahman, Deputy Director of the DoE's Bagerhat district office, with support from district police, Sadar Thana police and Fire Service personnel. When the mobile court team reached the Baburhat Bazar area of Bishnupur Union, some brick kiln workers and locals blocked the road by sitting and lying on it. They requested the authorities to postpone the drive until after Eid and asked for two weeks to shut down the kilns themselves. After officials explained the legal penalties for operating illegal kilns and the environmental damage caused by such activities, the workers cleared the road and cooperated with the operation. The mobile court later demolished the 11 illegal kilns using excavators. Earlier on March 11, another mobile court drive in Santgachia and Baburhat Bazar areas of the upazila demolished seven illegal brick kilns and destroyed about 400,000 raw bricks. Deputy Director Asadur Rahman said such drives against illegal brick kilns will continue to protect the environment.