Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; the Ministry of Water Resources; and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, said that courageous and responsible institutions working for the welfare of nature and people are what the country needs most. She noted that the government alone cannot reach every corner of society, and such institutions are the government’s strongest partners.
She emphasized that institutions delivering doorstep services at the grassroots level in areas such as healthcare, environmental conservation, and the protection of culture and heritage must work in close coordination with all government agencies.
The Environment Adviser made these remarks today while speaking as the chief guest at a program jointly organized by the Nature and Life Foundation and Channel i at Chetana Chattar of Channel i in the capital.
She said that innovative initiatives such as floating hospitals for marginalized communities not only provide services but also foster a strong sense of responsibility. She added that floating hospitals could serve as an effective model for implementing the master plan in the haor areas, and praised the organizers for setting an example by hosting a single-use plastic-free event.
She further said that recognition received on home soil increases responsibility and inspires the younger generation. Congratulating Runa Khan, she said that the work of Friendship proves that integrated efforts in health, environment, culture, and livelihoods form the foundation of sustainable development.
The program was presided over by Mukit Majumdar Babu, Chairman of the Nature and Life Foundation. Special guests included Dr Farhina Ahmed, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Among the honoured guests were Md Amir Hossain Chowdhury, Chief Conservator of Forests, and Md Ziaul Haque, Additional Director General of the Department of Environment. Representatives of various social, cultural and environmental movements, researchers, journalists, and members of civil society were also present.
At the event, in recognition of her long-standing outstanding contributions to nature, the environment, and the lives of marginalized people in Bangladesh, the ‘Nature and Life Foundation–Channel i Nature Conservation Award 2025’ was presented to Runa Khan, Founder and Executive Director of the social development organization Friendship. As part of the award, she received a cheque of BDT 100,000 and a certificate for lifelong free medical treatment.
It may be noted that Friendship began its journey in 2002 by converting an abandoned fuel oil tanker into a hospital. Today, the organization is globally recognized as an integrated model in healthcare, education, safe water, climate-resilient infrastructure, civic rights, and livelihood-based development. Every year, more than 7.5 million people directly benefit from Friendship’s programs. In coastal areas, its mangrove afforestation projects along 62 kilometers of riverbanks, covering hundreds of hectares, have contributed to preventing river erosion, conserving biodiversity, and building climate-resilient livelihoods.
