Ban on polythene use: Green activists demand to apply anti-plastic laws
Staff Reporter :
The green activists and some non-government organisations (NGOs) on Sunday have demanded of the government to ensure to ban use of polythene fully considering it as non-biodegradable item by applying the country’s existing anti-plastic laws strongly.
They made the demand in different events on the occasion of World Environment Day, which will be observed today (Monday).
When the government slapped the ban on polythene bags of less than 55 micron thickness in January 2002, it was hailed as a major step towards reducing environmental pollution.
The ban worked for some years following the ban that made illegal the production, sale, use, import, distribution and storage of the bags, but now it flooded across the country.
“There are about 1200 polythene factories in the country including the capital city Dhaka. At least 300 such factories are in Old Dhaka. Some polythene factories are also in Keraniganj, Zinjira, Kamrangirchar, Mirpur, Karwanbazar, Tejgaon and Tongi areas,” President of Poribesh Bachao Andolan (POBA) Abu Naser Khan said on Sunday while briefing journalists in the city.
Polythene is destroying the fertility of soil and government should apply the existing anti-plastic laws strongly to ban use of polythene fully in the country, he said.
Emphasising the use of jute bags, the green activist said, polythene is the enemy of environment and the Department of Environment (DoE) should take strong initiative to stop use of polythene.
On the other hand, Bangladesh Poribesh Bachao Andolan (BAPA) and Cox’s Bazar CSO NGO Forum (CCNF) jointly organised a human chain in front of Cox’s Bazar District Commissioner Office. They demanded of the government to free the country from polythene pollution and ensure fresh water for the people.
They organised the event on the occasion of World Environment Day.
Speakers at the human chain highlighted the alarming situation of the Cox’s Bazar Sea, which is now plagued by polythene waste and garbage is being carelessly dumped throughout municipal areas despite the government’s existing anti-plastic laws.
BAPA Cox’s Bazar President Fazlul Kader Chowdhur and COAST Foundation Mostafa Kamal Akanda, among others, spoke at the event.
