Omar Faruk, an A-level student of Sunshine Grammar School and College, looked very pleased yesterday as he along with a hundred mates just finished a clean-up campaign on different streets that surround their school compound in the port city.
“I am satisfied as I have performed my duty as a citizen of the country,” he said.
The college boy said they not only made the streets free of trashes but also tried to make people aware about their duty as citizens to clean their environs by themselves. A hundred of his fellows yesterday launched the three-hour cleaning campaign with the slogan “We will keep our surroundings clean by ourselves”.
Saifa Gazi Rahman, principal, Sunshine Grammar School and College, said the drive began from the entrance of the institution at Road-1 in Nasirabad Housing Society area at 9:00am.
She said the students were very much enthusiastic to join the cleaning operation. Not only the students but the teachers and other employees of the school took part in it, she added.
Rashedur Rahman, coordinator, Sunshine Community Service, said he felt very happy having taken part in the cleaning at the side of the students.
“We have formed six groups with the students, each led by a teacher, for the cleaning campaign,” he said, adding that these groups also consist students of O-level.
The A-level students were advised to control the vehicular movement on the roads, he said. They also made the drivers and commuters aware about traffic rules, he added.
Omar said they asked the drivers not to blow horns at random in the residential areas, as there might have been patients in the houses by the roadside.
“We also removed traffic jam on the roads in front of the schools by making organised parking arrangement”.
Omar hoped that the drivers and the commuters would maintain the systematic discipline at the time of parking respective vehicles and moving on the roads.
Adina Ayesha Khan, an ex-student of Sunshine Grammar School and College, came to join the campaign as soon as she learned about it yesterday morning.
She said they are trying to set an example so that others can learn from it.
Adina, who has completed her graduation in Canada, said the more people become aware the more our surroundings become free from pollution, and discipline will come to the thoroughfares.
Referring to an instance of Canada, she said everything including the vehicular movement goes in order in Canada, as the people there are more conscious. “We want a green Chittagong,” she said.
Adina said setting examples of being a responsible citizen is more important as ten more will learn from the example set by one, and a hundred more will learn from the example set by the ten.
Courtesy of The Daily Star
