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from the Founder |
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We have introduced a new name in
nature conservation - The Prakriti
Foundation. It is a non-profitable,
non-political and non-governmental
organization. It combines the
dedication of nature photographers and
researchers to project the wonders of
nature and conserve the flora and
fauna in our beautiful country –
Bangladesh.
The name “Prakriti” was chosen to
convey the right meaning that the
foundation stands for. The word
“Prakriti” in Bangla means nature. I
started The Prakriti Foundation with
my personal contribution. In doing so
I was greatly encouraged by my
daughter Lamis and son Nadim, who live
in USA. This is a small beginning but
I am optimistic that with the
cooperation of my friends, experts and
well-wishers who joined the
foundation, it will grow as we work
and become a major force in our region
on the conservation of nature.
During my long years of service as a
career diplomat, who served in many
countries, I came to realize that the
issue of nature conservation did not
get the attention it deserved in most
developing countries, including
Bangladesh. As I recently toured the
Sundarbans, the home of the famous
Bengal Tiger, it appeared to me to be
a place out of this world. The
solitude of the nature, hundreds of
rivers and creeks that run through the
forest and the magnificent flora and
fauna of the Sundarbans have no
parallel elsewhere. I traveled far and
wide and became convinced that the
Sundarbans is one of the most
enchanting forests in the world.
Our tasks ahead are complex and many.
We need your support. It will be
critical for The Prakriti Foundation
to get generous technical assistance
and financial contributions from
abroad to devote our efforts to the
conservation of flora and fauna in
Bangladesh. The immediate task for us
is to establish permanent Prakriti
research stations in some parts of the
country. This will necessitate leased
lands from the government, logistics
and funds to set them up and operate.
The nature research backed by
photography will remain important
tools for us to reach our goals. Our
efforts will be published in and
disseminated through our quarterly
nature photo journal, Prakriti Photo.
In order to groom young people as
nature lovers, we will conduct
advanced conservation photography
classes at the Institute of Nature
Photography and Research. The course
will be in English and open to local
and foreign students. We also hope to
build up a nature photo library as we
continue to engage in conservation
work and inspire young nature
photographers to join our Prakriti
team.
Our long-term plan is to establish a
number of Prakriti Parks in some parts
of the country, including one in the
vicinity of Dhaka. We are concerned
that green spaces are shrinking
throughout Bangladesh, a trend that we
must reverse with all our efforts. I
hope you will be with us to support
our cause. Every Taka that we spend
will go for nature conservation to
bring joy to the future generations.
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(Syed Noor
Hossain)
30 April 2003
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