Cleanliness drive held at Jagannath University to prevent dengue

Around 150 student volunteers took part in a cleanliness drive at Jagannath University (JnU) on Tuesday to clear stagnant water and eliminate potential breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitoes amid growing dengue concerns.

The initiative was organised by the JnU unit of Bashundhara Shuvosangho as part of its ongoing 10-day dengue awareness campaign that commenced on 5 October.

Divided into several teams, the volunteers commenced the drive, equipped with safety gloves, masks, and caps. They combed through the Faculty of Science premises, Muktamancha, Pogose Laboratory School grounds, and the Bhavna Chattar adjacent to the university cafeteria.

The participants cleared discarded coconut shells, abandoned tyres, single-use cups, and plastic containers holding stagnant water.

JnU unit President Russel Sheikh said the campaign aims to ensure a vector-free, safe campus. Executive President Rifat Hossain and General Secretary Samia Akter affirmed their commitment to sustaining such public-health interventions, noting that keeping the campus hygienic remains a collective responsibility.

Amena Khatun, a parent of a Pogose School pupil, commended the students for clearing the school grounds, saying the move provides relief to worried families. Volunteer Amir Hossain also voiced pride in contributing to campus safety.

The drive was attended, among others, by the unit's Vice-President Al Shahriar, Joint General Secretaries Md Saiful Alam Rinku, Munir Uddin Sheikh, and Md Shahriar Ahmed Ratul, Organising Secretary Towsif Ahmed Mahin, and Finance Secretaries Amir Hossain and Mohan Khondokar.

Assistant Women Affairs Secretaries Afia Sultana Esha and Tania Khatun, Sports Secretary Towhidul Islam, Planning Secretary Jubayer, Entertainment Secretaries Enayet Ullah and Md Mohibullah Hossain, Relief and Disaster Management Secretary Amir Hamzah Shahid, and members Osman Gani and Sanjay Harijan were also present.