Speakers at a seminar on the World Environment Day yesterday called upon the governments of the SAARC and other Asian countries to make agreements on important environment issues immediately for a better future.

The seminar 'organised by the Dhaka Ahsanla Mission and United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) said that a better environment in Bangladesh would only be created by eliminating poverty.

The seminar chaired by Chairman, Ahsanla Mission Environment Conservation and Development Programmes, Prof Mafizuddln Ahmed was addressed, among others, by State Minister for Environment Goeswar Chandra Roy as chief guest. UNDP official Christine Sporel. Executive Director of Ahasanfa Mission Kazi Rafiqu) Alam, Prof Abu Talyab Abu Ahmed, Dr Nazrul Islam and Anisuzzaman Khan. Prof Kazi Zaker Hossain presented the key note paper.

Prof Zaker Hossain tn his paper said that progress of civilization was achieved by random destruction of environment and presently the rich nations blame the poor nations for the environmental degradation.

. The State Minister for Environment said that plantation by the sides of one lakh 96 thousand km of roads of the country could at least produce resources worth Tk 2500 crores annually and could provide job for one million people.