Youths' role vital in raising awareness
US Ambassador in Dhaka Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat yesterday called upon the youth to channel their energy, passion and creativity towards raising awareness among people in conserving biodiversity.
“Youth play crucial role in rallying their friends, families and communities to any issues,” she said.
The US ambassador was addressing an award ceremony of USAID's University Film Contest on Biodiversity Conservation, in partnership with Brac Bank and Spellbound Communications Limited, at a hotel in the capital, where 11 groups participated in the short-film contest.
Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, founder and chairperson of Brac Bank, said his bank is committed to conserving and safeguarding the planet.
“I hope that Brac Bank shows the way to the private sector to become more involved in development, protection and biodiversity conservation…We need to be more aware and take action where it is required,” he said.
Later, both handed over prizes to the winning team of Dhaka University for their film, “Respect Nature”.
Ashraful Kibria, a member of the winning team, said, “We tried to show how it feels to be thrown out of one's own home, which happened to animals and birds.”
Teams of Independent University, Bangladesh and Jahangirnagar University won the second and third prizes respectively.
Pathshala South Asian Media Institute won the Viewer's Choice award as the most popular film.
The jury panel of Dr Karl Wurster, team leader of USAID Global Climate Change, Troy Beckman, Development Outreach and Communication Specialist, cinematographer Rashed Zaman, and Zara Jabeen Mahbub, head of Corporate Communications of Brac Bank, reviewed and scored all of the 11 films.
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