Waterkeepers Bangladesh (WKB) consortium organized seventh community meeting on 19^th April with the convening committee of the Barogram-Balu River Coalition. The meeting was organized jointly by the Barogram-Balu River Coalition and Waterkeepers Bangladesh Consortium under the project titled “Promoting democratic governance and collective advocacy for environmental protection in Dhaka city” under Promoting Advocacy and Rights (PAR) Activity which is being implemented in collaboration with the USAID and Counterpart International. It was a two-hour-long event organized at Trimohini Bazar, Khilgaon, Dhaka.

A total of 40 persons attended the community meeting (all men). Later in the evening Ifter and Dua (prayer) mahfil was organized and about 50 community people attended.

The community meeting was presided over by Mr. Md. Suruj Mia, Convenor of the Barogram-Balu River Coalition. Md. Kamruzzaman, Project Coordinator conveyed greetings on behalf of the WKB Consortium and thanked the community leaders for organizing the meeting. The meeting was addressed by Mr. Mojahidul Islam Emon, Mr. Amzad Hossain, Mr. Md. Saiful Islam, Mr. Md. Maij Mia, Mr. Md. Ariful Islam, and many others. This was the first meeting of the convening committee of the Barogram-Balu River Coalition after its inception on 2nd March 2022. As part of the extended meeting of the coalition, an Iftar Mahfil and dua (prayer) event was organized on the evening of 19 April 2022. Special dua for the success of the proposed Balu River Festival.

The meeting decided to organize the Balu River Festival in September 2022. Participants discussed the ways to include mass people from the riverbank communities. Coalition leaders decided to form unit committees in all the villages and organize courtyard meetings for mass participation in the proposed Balu River Festival. Coalition members expressed their willingness to involve all stakeholders including politicians and industrialists in the proposed Balu River Festival. The meeting also decided to organize a human chain and develop and distribute leaflets/handbills on the consequences of river pollution before the festival to attract attention and create awareness against river pollution.