Barguna, June 28 (V7N) — A bicycle rally was held in Patharghata, Barguna on Saturday, demanding climate compensation instead of debt-based aid. The event, which aimed to raise awareness about climate justice, began from the municipal town and concluded at the Patharghata College Gate, passing through the Kalmagha–Chhoto Patharghata road.
 
The rally was jointly organized by “Dharitri Rokkhay Amra (DHORA), Waterkeepers Bangladesh, and the Patharghata Coastal Protection Movement. Participants called for unconditional climate financing and compensation for climate-induced loss and damage, emphasizing that such support must come without the burden of loans.
 
Speakers at the concluding session included:
 
Md. Suman, Head Teacher, Madhumati Ideal School
 
Jahangir Hossain, Head Teacher, Kalmagha Muslim High School
 
Nazmul Haque Selim, General Secretary, Patharghata Press Club
 
Mainul Islam Reza, Youth Activist
 
Sifat Khan, President, Youth Forum
 
Journalists Al Amin Forkan, Shakil Ahmed, Kazi Sakib
 
Zubair Ahmed, Upazila Team Leader, Red Crescent
 
Shafiqul Islam Khokon, Coastal Researcher and Investigative Journalist
 
In his remarks, Shafiqul Islam Khokon stated,
 
“We are on the path to destruction due to climate change. It is not our actions that caused this crisis, but the industrial activities of wealthy Western nations. The damage they caused must be compensated by them—not as loans, but as an obligation. We are not asking for charity; we are demanding our rightful dues.”
 
Jahangir Hossain, a local educator, highlighted the crucial role of youth in the climate movement:
 
“If the youth don’t become aware and act now, the suffering of the coastal people will continue to grow. The time for action is today.”
 
The rally served as a symbolic yet urgent call from one of Bangladesh's most climate-vulnerable coastal regions, underlining the demand for climate justice and rejecting debt-based solutions.
 
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