DHAKA, July 10 (V7N)– Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan issued a stern warning today, stating that individuals involved in the production and marketing of banned polythene will face severe consequences. She emphasized that "With the support of joint forces, strict drives will be launched against those who are involved with such illegal activities."

Hasan, who also serves as the adviser to the Water Resources Ministry, made these remarks during a view exchange meeting held at the Ministry of Home Affairs in the Bangladesh Secretariat. The meeting, presided over by Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, brought together various law enforcement agencies to strategize on curbing the illegal polythene trade.

A key outcome of the meeting was the decision to initiate rigorous operations targeting the entire chain of illegal polythene activities, including its production, import, marketing, sale, display for sale, storage, distribution, and commercial transportation of banned polythene shopping bags.

The environment adviser underscored the necessity of a collective effort to safeguard the environment. She stated that a "coordinated and uninterrupted action plan will be implemented involving the administration, law enforcement agencies, local government bodies, and the general public."

The meeting saw the presence of high-ranking officials, including Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Nasimul Ghani, Additional Secretary Khandaker Mahbubur Rahman, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Environment Dr. Fahmida Khanom, Director General of the Department of Environment Md. Kamruzzaman, RAB ADG (Operations) Colonel Iftekhar Ahmed, Commander of Azimpur Army Camp Lt. Col. Nahid-uz-Zaman Khan, RAB-10 Commander Mohammad Kamruzzaman, DMP Additional Commissioners Nazrul Islam and Faruq Ahmed, Chief Waste Management Officer of Dhaka South City Corporation Air Commodore Md. Mahbubur Rahman Talukdar, Dhaka Deputy Commissioner Tanvir Ahmed, and DMP Deputy Commissioner of Lalbagh Mohammad Jasim Uddin.

In related developments, enforcement actions against banned polythene have already begun elsewhere. A mobile court in Kishoreganj today filed a case and seized polythene bags. On the same day, a raid was conducted on a polythene shopping bag manufacturing unit in Araihazar Upazila of Narayanganj, where the electricity connection was severed and the electric meter was confiscated.

Bangladesh was the first country in the world to implement a ban on thin polythene bags in 2002, primarily to address severe drainage clogging and exacerbate flooding. Despite this pioneering legislation, enforcement has been a continuous challenge, leading to a resurgence in polythene use over the years. The interim government, which came to power in August 2024, has shown renewed commitment to enforcing the existing ban, with Syeda Rizwana Hasan leading the charge. Measures initiated in late 2024 included bans in supermarkets from October 1 and in all markets from November 1, along with actions against producers. The current coordinated effort with law enforcement agencies signifies a more stringent approach to ensure compliance.

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