Staff Reporter:
Mobile courts will launch raids across the country in a bid to stop production of polythene shopping bags from 1 November, Farhina Ahmed, secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said on Saturday.
Teams will be formed jointly with the Department of Environment, the Department of Consumer’s Rights protection, and the magistrates of the district administration, she said.
With the cooperation of the people, the government will stop the production, marketing, and use of polythene, she said, calling upon the buyers and sellers to ensure the use of environmentally friendly bags.
The government official made the remarks while addressing a view exchange meeting with members of the Shantinagar Market Committee and the Traders’ Association held at the committee’s office in Dhaka.
Claiming that the use of polythene increases the risk of cancer, liver, and other diseases, she said it has been used for the last 22 years violating the country’s existing relevant law.
In the interest of public health and public interest, the decision to ban polythene must be followed by all, said the government high up.
The use of polythene is a serious threat to the country’s environment and to be free from its harmful effects, government regulations must be strictly followed, she said, urging both sellers and buyers to refrain from using polythene.
The exchange of views meeting was chaired by Mujibul Haque, president of the Shantinagar Market Management Committee.
Among others, Additional Secretary (Environment) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Fahmida Khanom, Deputy Secretary Sidhartha Sankar Kundu, Deputy Director of the Department of Environment Abdullah Al Mamun, and General Secretary of the Market Committee Lokman Hossain Fakir spoke at the meeting.
After the meeting, the secretary and the leaders of the market committee visited various shops in Shantinagar market and encouraged the businessmen to increase the use of alternative environmentally friendly bags.
