Advocacy meeting to strengthen Nexus Programming in Amtoli.

Amtoli (Barguna) Correspondent. The meeting was organized on Tuesday morning at the Amtoli Upazila Parishad Hallroom. Action Aid Bangladesh and non-governmental development organization NSS provided overall support to the meeting organized by Activista Barguna. NSS Project Coordinator Md. Moniruzzaman moderated the meeting and NSS Executive Director Shahabuddin Panna presided over the meeting. Amtoli Upazila Engineer Md. Idris Ali was present as the chief guest. Former lecturer of Amtoli Government College Md. Anwar Hossain, General Secretary of Amtoli Upazila Journalists Coordination Council Hayatuzzaman Miraj, former General Secretary of Amtoli Journalists Union Hossain Ali Kazi and journalist Abdur Rahman Saleh, along with representatives of various classes and professions, spoke at the meeting. Upazila Election Officer Mohammad Sohel, Upazila Agricultural Extension Officer Md. Afzal Hossain, Upazila Rural Development Officer Md. Firoz Alam, Upazila Youth Development Officer Md. Jasim Uddin, Assistant Upazila Education Officer Md. Rafiqul Islam, Forest Officer Md. Monirul Islam, Former President of the Journalists Union Jasim Sikder, Joint Secretary of Amtoli Press Club Journalist Mohsin Matubbar, Bangladesh Human Rights Commission, Amtoli Upazila Branch General Secretary and Journalist Abu Jihad and Corruption Prevention Committee Amtoli Branch General Secretary Joseph Mahtab. Mukta Rani and Wahidul Karim Tonu, Presidents of Tarunyar Alo Youth Forum, presented the results of the community consultation and the upazila action plan at the meeting. At the beginning of the program, an awareness play was staged on various issues of the Nexus Program. Later, music was performed demanding improvement in the quality of healthcare. The speakers at the meeting said that due to weak embankments, the homes and livelihoods of people in coastal areas are damaged, and the cost of post-disaster rehabilitation and recovery also increases. At the same time, the lack of advance preparation and awareness in dealing with disasters delays emergency response and increases the risk to people's lives and property. The speakers also said that advance preparation, increasing public awareness, effective coordination and implementing time-based action plans are essential to reduce disaster losses. In this regard, government service providers, local communities, youth, civil society and the media must work together. About 200 representatives from various classes and professions, including government officials, civil society representatives, journalists, and youth members, participated in the advocacy meeting.