Barguna, Nov 13 (V7N) — The coastal upazila of Patharghata in Barguna observed Coastal Day on Wednesday with a colorful rally, memorial tributes, and prayers to honor the victims of past cyclones. The event was organized by the Patharghata Coastal Protection Movement.

The rally began at 11 a.m. from the municipal roundabout and paraded through the main streets before concluding at the Patharghata Upazila Parishad premises. Participants paid tribute at the memorial plaque dedicated to fishermen lost at sea between 1993 and June 2024, as well as to those who perished during Cyclone Sidr. Special prayers were offered for the souls of those who died in the devastating 1970 cyclone.

Patharghata Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md. Mizanur Rahman attended the program as the chief guest. Also present were BNP Patharghata convener Chowdhury Mohammad Faruq, religious leader Maulana Monirul Islam, social worker and cultural activist Erfan Ahmed Sohen, and community leader Mehedi Shikder. The memorial session was conducted by journalist and researcher Shafiqul Islam Khokon. Representatives from several NGOs, including CNRRS, CCDB, Rupantar, Sankalpa Trust, and Drishti Foundation, also joined the event.

Speakers recalled the tragic 1970 cyclone that struck the southern coast of then-East Pakistan on November 12, killing an estimated one million people. Recognized as one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history, it was classified as a Category 3 storm on the Simpson scale and remains a somber reminder of Bangladesh’s coastal vulnerability.

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