FROM PAGE 3

Till yesterday a group of young protesters have been demonstrating at Panthakunja Park under the banner of “Bangladesh Tree Protection Movement” for 151 days.

They expressed disappointment and concern as the government is still not taking any visible steps to save Panthakunja Park and Hatirjheel.

“The project not only ignores legal safeguards for nature but also contradicts global efforts to cut carbon emissions,” the statement noted.

Critics stressed that while many countries are investing in public transportation to reduce dependence on cars, this project, initiated by the previous authoritarian regime, reflects a development philosophy that undermines both the environment and the rights of citizens.

Dhaka University Prof Gitiara Nasreen, TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman, author Prof Anu Muhammad, photographers Shahidul Alam and Nasir Ali Mamun, Prof Salimullah Khan, rights activists Rehnuma Ahmed and Shireen Huq, member of Constitution Reform Commission Firoz Ahmed and Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua, and urban planner Adil Muhammad Khan signed the statement, among others.