Arsenic-free water initiative launched in Khulna
An awareness discussion and the inauguration of an arsenic removal water filter were held on April 17 at Shaheed Hadis Park in Khulna, organized by the non-governmental organization Adams Foundation.
Vice-Chancellor of Khulna Agricultural University, Prof. Dr. Md Nazmul Ahsan, attended the event as the chief guest. Speaking at the function, he praised the foundation’s efforts in improving the lives of underprivileged communities across Bangladesh, describing its work as both impactful and commendable.
Drawing from his experience in urban sanitation since 2006, he emphasized the importance of bringing organisations like the Adams Foundation under a formal legal framework to ensure the sustainability and scalability of their development initiatives.
Special guests included Prof. Dr. Sheikh Sirajul Hakim, Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Khulna University; Prof. Dr. Hamidul Bari of the Department of Civil Engineering at KUET; Khulna City Corporation CEO Rajib Ahmed; Holger Triesch, Managing Director of Bridge of Light, Germany; freedom fighter Mohammad Moniruzzaman; and community leader Sheikh Kamruzzaman.
The programme was chaired by SM Ali Aslam, Executive Director of Adams Foundation. Representatives from community forums, youth groups, and project staff from urban health and climate initiatives also attended.
The Adams Foundation is currently working across 24 wards of Khulna City Corporation, each supported by a 15-member community committee. Its long-term donor, Germany-based Bridge of Light, has been funding humanitarian and development initiatives in Bangladesh for over four decades.
These include vocational training centers, rural healthcare facilities, climate adaptation programs, and emergency support during disasters such as Cyclone Sidr, Aila, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
A remembrance session was also held in honor of the late founders of Bridge of Light, Friedel Klipp and Methilde von Luninck Klipp.
The ceremony concluded with the inauguration of a 30-liter capacity arsenic removal filter, jointly developed by the Adams Foundation, KUET, and Japan’s Ritsumeikan University.
