Two of Sylhet’s most celebrated tourist destinations, Jaflong and Shada Pathor, witnessed an inspiring regional plastic cleanup campaign in observance of World Environment Day 2025, under the theme “Ending Plastic Pollution” and with the slogan “Beat Plastic Pollution”. The campaign was a joint initiative of SMILE project, funded by Chevron and implemented by Swisscontact, in collaboration with the Department of Environment (DoE), Sylhet Division. The event aimed to raise awareness against plastic pollution, protect the region’s unique natural beauty, and promote green tourism practices.
The SMILE project supported the events in both locations with necessary logistic arrangements to make this campaign operational. This included the comprehensive set of cleaning materials such as whisks, broom, gumboots, gloves, collection bins as well as branded polo shirts for volunteers to ensure safety and create a unified visual identity for the campaign. These scenic destinations, renowned for their natural beauty and high tourist traffic, became the focus of a commendable collective effort to combat plastic pollution and promote a cleaner, more sustainable environment.
The plastic cleanup campaign at Jaflong was formally inaugurated in the presence of several high-ranking officials, including Md. Afzarul Islam, Assistant Director, Department of Environment (DoE), Sylhet Division, and Md. Badrul Huda, Assistant Director, Department of Environment (DoE), Sylhet District. The event was also attended by other distinguished government officials and leaders from various associations, the in-charge of the Jaflong Tourist Police, representatives of Chevron Bangladesh’s Social Investment and Field Corporate Affairs teams, as well as representative from the SMILE project.
The event at Shada Pathor was graced by Banani Das, Senior Chemist, Department of Environment (DoE), Sylhet Division, Professor Dr. Md. Alimul Islam, Vice-Chancellor, Sylhet Agricultural University, along with other senior representatives of the university, as well as higher authorities of Chevron Bangladesh- Ashiq Rahman, Director, Operations, Khondoker Tusherujjaman, Manager, Field Corporate Affairs and members of their social investment team. Their presence emphasized the shared commitment of public and private stakeholders to environmental stewardship and climate action in Bangladesh.
In addition to the government officials, students from schools, colleges, and Sylhet Agricultural University, environmental activists, and volunteers from various youth and civil society organizations enthusiastically participated in the clean-up drive. More than 350 volunteers came together with a shared purpose- to reduce single-use plastic waste, restore the ecological balance of the riverside plus hill areas, and promote awareness among tourists and local stakeholders of proper waste disposal and maintain cleanliness at the site.
Dozens of volunteers, including local youth, school and college students, environmental activists, and community leaders, joined forces to remove hundreds of kilograms of plastic waste, primarily single-use plastics like bottles, wrappers, chips packets and polythene bags that had long marred the scenic landscapes of Jaflong and Shada Pathor. These collected wastes were later transferred to a waste management facility.
This year’s World Environment Day theme, “Ending Plastic Pollution,” resonated deeply across the campaign, reminding everyone that change begins with awareness, commitment, and joint action. The activities also align with the SMILE project’s commitment in reducing carbon footprint and enhancing project waste management practices by combating plastic pollution.