Three thousand tons of plastic are used in Bangladesh every day
Excessive use of plastic is having a negative impact on public health besides polluting the environment. Harmful elements of plastic are mixed in the water in plastic bottles, a significant threat to health protection.
Although the existing laws of Bangladesh prohibit the production and marketing of polyethylene, there is no legal framework to reduce the use of plastic products.
Prominent environmentalist Professor Dr. A. Atiq Rahman said these in a program organized by Chaya Sangsad on public awareness to prevent plastic pollution in Dhaka.
At this time, he said, “It is important to ban the one-time use of plastic products on a priority basis. Banning it, especially in government offices and educational institutions, will gradually make it easier to ban it in other sectors.”
“Prevention of plastic pollution requires social justice, change in lifestyle and attitude, and inclusion of the subject in the education curriculum. If political parties want, they can include the issue of plastic pollution prevention in the manifesto of the next national elections,” Dr. A. Atiq Rahman added.
The speakers said environmental and public health protection will be possible if a long-term plan is adopted and implemented to prevent plastic pollution. Ordinary people will benefit if part of the dividends of bottling and soft drink manufacturing companies are spent on particular public health sectors.
UCB Public Parliament organized the competition event titled Debate for Democracy. Chairman of Debate for Democracy Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiran presided over the event.
In the chair’s speech, Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiran said, “Cox’s Bazar, the world’s largest beach, is going to fall into disaster due to the threat of plastic waste. If we turn the sea into a dustbin by coming to see the beach, then this large beach may become unusable.”
“Three thousand tons of plastic is used daily in the country, He said. He added that Bangladesh’s environmental law has issued a public notice discouraging the use of single-use and multilayer plastic, but its production and sale have not been banned.
Kiran also said, “On the other hand, polyethylene bags’ production, use, marketing, and transportation was banned in 2002 considering it harmful to the environment, but the progress in stopping its use is very little.”
“About two and a half million polythene bags are being used daily in Dhaka city alone. Excessive use of polythene can cause health risks such as eye irritation, respiratory problems, reduced liver function, headaches, and even cancer,” he informed.
Citing a study, he also said, “Forty-three percent of 18 fish species in Bangladesh were found to have microplastics in their stomachs. This research was done by collecting these fish from the market of two places, Savar and Ashulia in Dhaka.”
These microplastics are present in the stomachs of 48 fish, including Kaliboush, Tangra, Pabda, Punti, Shing, Tatkini, and Bine. The fish from which these fish are bought for research are usually caught from the Buriganga River, Turag River, or nearby canals. These fish are very harmful to the human body.
