Masud Rana, Barishal Bureau

In anticipation of the upcoming Renewable Energy Fest 2025, scheduled to take place in Dhaka on Tuesday (April 22), an awareness rally and press conference were held in Barishal on Sunday. 

The event was jointly organized by local development organizations Prantojan, Avas, and Arohi, in collaboration with ActionAid Bangladesh, BUET, and the Just Energy Transition Network Bangladesh (JETNet-BD). The rally, which began at 10:00am from Barishal Shaheed Minar and ended at Ashwini Kumar Hall, was followed by a press conference at 11:00am at the Barishal Reporters Unity Hall Room.

Presided over by Gazi Zahid Hossain, a member of the Barishal Divisional Forum on Environment and Development, the press conference featured a written statement presented by event convener Shubhankar Chakraborty.

In his speech, Chakraborty emphasized the importance of building public awareness about the climate crisis, increasing the use of renewable energy, and ensuring a just energy transition. He said,“The goal of this rally is to spread the message of the Renewable Energy Fest 2025, scheduled for April 23–24 in Dhaka, to all segments of society. A sustainable transition in the energy sector is not just the responsibility of governments or institutions—active participation from every level of society is crucial. This rally marks the beginning of that effort. We want the benefits of renewable energy to reach everywhere—from villages to cities.”

As part of the ongoing campaign, the Renewable Energy Fest 2025 will be held at BUET, where media personnel, civil society members, and interested individuals are invited to participate.

Among those present at the press conference were:Touhidul Islam Shahazada, Executive Director of PrantojanTM Khorshed Alam, Executive Director of Arohi and member of JETNet-BD,Akhtarul Kabir, member of Barishal Divisional Environment and Development Forum,Advocate Subhash Das, Member Secretary of Paribesh Forum

The event was also attended by over a hundred participants, including citizens, youth, women leaders, environmental activists, journalists, and civil society representatives.