Patharghata, Nov 12 (V7N) — Coast Day was celebrated in Patharghata, Barguna, with a series of events organized by the Patharghata Coast Protection Movement to honor the lives lost to the sea. Starting with a procession from the town square, participants walked through the main road before gathering at the Upazila Parishad square, where a prayer was held for the souls of 70 individuals who have died or gone missing over the years.

A memorial plaque dedicated to fishermen lost at sea from 1993 to June 2024 was also unveiled at Cedar in Mukta Mancha. The commemoration, organized under the guidance of journalist Rafiqul Islam Montu, drew community leaders and local figures including Patharghata Upazila Executive Officer Roknuzzaman Khan, Patharghata Press Club President Golam Mostafa Chowdhury, and Patharghata Upazila BNP Convener Chowdhury Mohammad Farooq.

Journalist and researcher Shafiqul Islam Khokon led the commemoration ceremony, where speakers honored the memories of those lost and called for Coast Day to be an officially recognized day. They highlighted the urgent need for enhanced security, rehabilitation efforts, and legal recognition for missing fishermen along the coast, particularly in areas like Patharghata.

Coast Day is held on November 12 to mark the anniversary of the devastating cyclone that struck on this date in 1970. This Category 3 hurricane, one of history’s deadliest, led to the loss of nearly one million lives in what was then East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. The storm underscored the vulnerabilities of coastal communities and continues to be remembered as a call to protect those who rely on the sea for their livelihoods.

END/MRR/AJ