Congratulations, Rizwana!

Our heartiest congratulations to Syeda Rizwana Hasan for winning the Ramon Magsaysay Award known also as the "Asia's Nobel Prize" In fact she is the 11th Bangladeshi to be awarded the prestigious award, highest of its kind in Asia, for her role in protecting the environment. Her work had previously been recognised internationally when she was awarded the international Goldman Award for her role in environmental protection.
That she made her mission for ensuring right to good environment and elevating the issue as one of the basic rights of a person was also acknowledged by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation who in their citation recognise "her uncompromising courage and impassioned leadership in a campaign of judicial activism in Bangladesh that affirms the people's right to a good environment as nothing less than their right to dignity and life."
In fact Rizwana is one of the few of activists and hers is one of the few organisations that have led the crusade to save our environment from not only natural degradation but also protect it from the effects of commercial ventures of those given to limitless profiteering at the expense of the ecology. Her efforts have really been a struggle against odds, and she deserves kudos for not wilting or giving up, sometime against such onslaughts that took a personal nature.
While we as Bangladeshis share the pride of Rizawana's achievement, we would like to say that international awards and acknowledgements cannot be the end of one's pursuit. In fact these impose even more responsibility and demand even more commitment to better all one has achieved so far.
While we wish Rizwana the very best for the future we feel certain she and her organisation, BELA will have the full support of the people in all her future work. In that she should also be prepared to face greater odds but carry on regardless.