The day started with a long-awaited union in the Post Pandemic Period. On November 20, YouthMappers at BSMRMU celebrated "Bangladesh Geo-Week Celebration 2021" organized by OpenStreetMap Bangladesh (OSMBD) Community and supported by YouthMappers and Bangladesh Open Innovation Lab (BOIL). After a long stay in Corona, the union was a chance to grasp national influence and energy contributing to OpenStreetMap and to revitalize our objective going forward, OpenStreetMap Bangladesh. A number of students from several universities in Bangladesh participated both online and offline in the event: including YouthMappers chapters from the University of Chittagong, Jahangirnagar University, ASA University, and Asian University for Women.
The event started with participants' congratulation and welcome notes with inferences from pre-pandemic, pandemic stances for OpenStreetMap Bangladesh Community, and its participation in national mapping initiatives. We discussed what we can do in the post-pandemic period looking to the future.
In the second part of the event, a training session was conducted by Sawan Shariar, Regional Ambassador, YouthMappers. The mapping session was followed by the training workshop.
Although mapping has been going on in Bangladesh for several years now, there were still some basic questions about mapping that needed to be discussed during the first hour of the event.
★Revisiting the reason and importance of mapping
★What benefits the contributors and community bring to the community
★How to sustain currently active contributors for the longest period in a human lifetime, referencing jobs acquired unrelated to OSM and OSMBD, finding time amidst a busy life, and how we thank ourselves for our contribution to the community.
The discussions encouraged the student participants in mapping as well as providing ideas on the history of OSM, OSM in Bangladesh, YouthMappers, and YouthMappers in Bangladesh.
Despite having a large mapping community in Bangladesh, regular mapping activities always reflect a minor population. Curious and novice mappers are encouraged at these events.
Moreover, there is a need for mapping in several socio-economic sectors of Bangladesh for which skilled mappers are required. Through this, it is possible to improve the quality of life of the people by solving some national and regional problems.
So now is the time to take steps to popularize mapping in the universities of Bangladesh, thanks to the initiatives of OpenStreetMap Bangladesh Community, Bangladesh Open Innovation Lab, and YouthMappers.
Online and offline mapathons, long 5-day mapathons, along with different types of seminars and workshops, can be organized on the importance of mapping. Through which mapping should be disseminated first at the university and then at the college and school level. This opinion is popular amongst student mappers (novice or otherwise) of Bangladesh.
During the event, we discussed possible new initiatives that need to be taken on a short-term and long-term basis, and a wide range of participants contributed to the conversation.
1. Contribute to the education, health, and environmental pollution sectors. Identify the type and place of pollution happening in our surrounding locality, coastal and hill regions.
2. Building regular communities and keeping them active throughout the year with a variety of projects. Gain recognition in the national and international arena through the implementation of long-term projects.
3. Students of all the universities of the country integrate mapping with their academic work to achieve success in national life through effective mapping.
4. Coastal Mapping, union mapping, remote area mapping. Union area mapping and remote area mapping are of utmost necessity to the development of Bangladesh. Almost 34% of Bangladesh is mapping constituting major cities and wider coastal areas of Bangladesh.
The session ended with thanks from organizers, fun games, and group photos constituting offline participants with offline organizers.
About the Authors:
Author: Saiful Islam Shaikot
Email: saifulsaikat98@gmail.com
Designation: 2nd year
Department: Department of Oceanography and Hydrography
YouthMappers Chapter: Communication and Social Media Secretary-YouthMappers st BSMRMU
University: Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Maritime University
Co-Author: Khan Mohammad Ibtehal
Email: ibtehal15@gmail.com
Designation: 4th year
Department: Department of Oceanography and Hydrography
YouthMappers Chapter: President -YouthMappers at BSMRMU
University: Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Maritime University