A seminar on industrial pollution, the condition of rivers, and environmental risks was held at Habiganj Agricultural University. The seminar took place on Thursday (18 December) at 3:00 PM in the university’s conference room.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Dr. Syed Sayeem Uddin Ahmed, attended the seminar as the chief guest. Professor Md. Ekramul Wadud, President of the Advisory Council of “Dharitri Rokkhae Amra (DHARA), Habiganj,” was present as a special guest. Sharif Jamil, Member Secretary of DHARA and Coordinator of Waterkeepers Bangladesh, also delivered a speech.

Among others present were Professor Dr. Md. Jahangir Alam, Dean of the Faculty of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, along with faculty members from various departments of Habiganj Agricultural University.

The keynote paper was presented by Md. Shakir Ahmed, Lecturer of the Department of Environmental Science at Habiganj Agricultural University. He presented research findings on microplastic pollution in the water and fish of the Sutang River. The study found that between 6.67 and 46.6 microplastic particles per liter were detected in the river water. Fragmented particles and fibers were the most dominant types, with sizes mainly ranging from 0.1 to 0.5 millimeters.

The research further reported that a total of 51 plastic particles were identified in the digestive tracts of 30 fish from the Sutang River, indicating an average presence of approximately 1.7 microplastic particles per fish. Larger fish were found to ingest comparatively more microplastics, which is associated with greater food intake and prolonged exposure to polluted environments. The analysis detected plastic types such as polythene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide, and cellulose acetate, suggesting pollution primarily originating from plastic packaging and textile industries.

Meanwhile, Tofazzal Sohel, Khoyai River Waterkeeper, presented a paper on environmental pollution in the Habiganj region. He remarked that river encroachment, industrial waste discharge, and unplanned urbanization have placed the rivers and environment of Habiganj at serious risk.

Speakers at the seminar stated that microplastic pollution in rivers and aquatic ecosystems could become a serious threat to human health and biodiversity in the future. They expressed hope that such research would serve as an important foundation for determining the extent of microplastic pollution in the country’s freshwater environments.