Hundreds of local residents joined an initiative to help clean up Dhaka by exchanging household plastic waste for essential groceries at a temporary market at Ashrafabad High School. The initiative used everyday commodities as an incentive to engage citizens in collecting plastic waste and keeping their neighbourhoods clean.
The “Market in Exchange for Waste” programme was jointly organised today(5 September) by Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Bidyanondo Foundation in Kamrangirchar to encourage citizen participation in cleanliness drives, improve waste management and support underprivileged communities.
The Bidyanondo Foundation has earned around Tk1 crore by selling plastic waste collected over the past two years, enabling it to provide food to around four lakh people in DSCC areas, according to speakers at the programme.
Dhaka South Administrator Md Abdus Salam inaugurated the programme, while Dhaka-7 lawmaker Hamidur Rahman attended as the special guest.
Speaking on the occasion, Abdus Salam stressed the importance of active citizen participation in keeping the city clean, describing the initiative as an effective model for involving people in waste management.
He said a permanent stall would soon be set up in Gulistan and the initiative would gradually be expanded to all Dhaka South wards.
Salam urged Kamrangirchar residents to protect the Buriganga River, prevent encroachment and refrain from indiscriminately dumping waste.
Bidyanondo Foundation Executive Director Jamal Uddin said the project aims to collect around 1,00,000kg of plastic waste through 100 mobile campaigns over the next year.
Dhaka South Chief Waste Management Officer Air Commodore Md Mahbubur Rahman Talukdar, senior city corporation officials and Bidyanondo Foundation volunteers attended the programme.
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