Saber Hossain Chowdhury, the minister of environment, forest, and climate change, has asked deputy commissioners to play a key role in protecting the environment, ecosystems, and biodiversity of Bangladesh. He spoke at the meeting of his ministry during the Deputy Commissioner Conference 2024 and emphasized the need for joint efforts to avoid environmental damage amid ongoing development activities in different districts.

The minister of environment urged deputy commissioners to take firm action against activities that harm public health and the environment, such as filling up water bodies and wetlands, building on hills and slopes, and running illegal brick kilns. He also stressed the need for permanently shutting down inactive brick kilns and using eco-friendly block bricks in government projects.

Saber addressed the issues of air and plastic pollution and suggested the development of district-specific action plans to deal with road construction, brick kilns, waste management, and single-use plastics. He supported innovative ways to protect the environment and prevent pollution, such as stopping the use of banned polythene shopping bags and single-use plastics in government offices at the grassroots level.

He highlighted the active participation of deputy commissioners in preserving forest lands, fighting illegal encroachment, and stopping activities such as illegal sawmills and lead-acid battery recycling. He also pointed out their role in supervising and assisting the execution of ongoing climate change projects in different districts.

The minister emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts between his ministry and deputy commissioners to maintain Bangladesh’s environmental quality and biodiversity. Secretary Dr Farhina Ahmed, Director General of Environment Department D. Abdul Hamid, and Chief Conservator of Forest Department M. Amir Hossain Chowdhury were among the officials who attended the meeting.