Five students have been awarded prizes in the Waste Management Olympiad, a month-long competition organised by the Narayanganj district administration to raise awareness and inspire young minds toward sustainable waste solutions.
Among the winners, Pronoy Roy, a class 9 student of Bidya Niketan High School, secured the first prize. The Olympiad began on September 26 and concluded yesterday with a closing ceremony held at the Sadar Upazila Parishad auditorium.
Around 500 students from a hundred educational institutions in Narayanganj participated in the event and vowed "Nature is my friend; I pledge to protect nature and keep my surroundings clean".
Narayanganj Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Zahidul Islam Miah distributed certificates and prizes among the winners and participants at the closing ceremony.
Speakers at the event highlighted that over 1,000 tonnes of waste are generated daily in Narayanganj Sadar, much of which is dumped in open areas emitting greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. The Olympiad, they said, was designed to encourage students to think critically about solutions to such challenges.
In the first phase, about 10,000 students from 100 schools under the Sadar upazila participated in awareness sessions and quizzes, from which 500 students were shortlisted. The final round brought together the top 100 participants, who attended a 30-minute information workshop on waste management, climate change, and sustainable living before competing in the main Olympiad.
DC Zahidul Islam said, "Green and Clean Narayanganj is not just a slogan -- it's a responsibility and a commitment. Under this campaign, we've already undertaken awareness activities, waste management initiatives, tree plantation drives, dustbin installations at the ward level, and masterplan development. Today's Olympiad is part of that journey."
UNO Taslima Shirin echoed his sentiments, saying, "Environmental protection cannot be achieved by the administration alone. It requires a collective effort from schools, families, and communities. We want our students to become environmentally responsible citizens -- not just in exams, but in every life decision."