Millions of tons of e-waste are stored in Bangladesh
Three million tons of e-waste is accumulated in the country every year. Out of this, only 1.5 million tons of e-waste is generated from smart devices.
At least 2 lakh 96 thousand 302 units of broken televisions generate 1.7 lakh tonnes of e-waste. Alarmingly, this waste is increasing at a rate of 30 percent every year.
Estimates say that by 2025, Bangladesh will become a wasteland of billions of tons of e-waste. By 2030 billion units of smart will be produced annually.
The computer will expand into the PCB-based metal conversion business, which can lead to a dire humanitarian crisis.
Strict enforcement of laws is required to stop the import of refurbished electronics products entering the country from abroad and ensure e-waste management to control the situation.
Speakers highlighted such apprehensions at a recent roundtable on “Bangladesh at Carbon Risk of E-waste: Causes and Ways of Transition” organized by Bangladesh ICT Journalists Forum (BIJF) at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the capital.
Syed Akhtar Hossain, Dean of the School of Science and Engineering of the Canadian International University of Bangladesh, presented the keynote at the event.
In the presentation, he said, “There is no guideline for e-waste. As if without a guardian. An E-waste management policy needs to develop with each product to overcome this situation.”
“From next October 14, 2023, we want to celebrate International Standard E-Waste Awareness Day across the country with everyone under the banner of BIJF. We will also conduct a hackathon on e-waste management with students,” he informed.
In the welcome speech, Nazneen Nahar, President of BIJF, said, “This initiative taken by BIJF will strengthen in the future to protect the future generation from its dangers besides highlighting the harmful aspects of e-waste.”
Rezaul Karim, Managing Director of Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority, said, “E-waste management is very relevant with the times.
Besides creating awareness, there needs to be a specific authority in management. I hope BIJF will act as a pressure group to implement it.”
Shafqat Haider, Executive Committee Member of SAARC CCI (Bangladesh), moderated the discussion, whereas Engr. Md. Mahfuzul Alam, Deputy Director of Spectrum Division of BTRC, Abdullah Al Mamun, Deputy Director of the Department of Environment, Khandaker Al Moin, Director of Law and Media Branch of RAB, Saeed Ali, Deputy Secretary of Central Digital Commerce Cell of Ministry of Commerce were present in the discussion.
Manzoor Mohammad Shahriar, Deputy Director (Dhaka Division) of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP), Roshan Mumtaz, CERM Director of Civil Engineering Faculty of BUET, and Lafifa Jamal of Head Professor of Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering Department of Dhaka University participated in the discussion meeting.
Apart from this, Shahid Ul Munir, Former President of Bangladesh Computer Association, Abdul Fattah, Chairman of Global Brand Private Limited, Mohammad Zahirul Islam, Managing Director of Smart Technologies (BD) Limited, M.A. Hussain Jewell, Managing Director of JR Recycling/Solutions, Kaushik Jana, Development Manager (Consumer PS) of HP Bangladesh Business, Asadur Rahman Saki, Product Manager of Asus Bangladesh Country, Suman Roy Regional Manager (Commercial Business) of Lenovo India, Barrister Najmus Salehin, Advocate of Bangladesh Supreme Court, Shaheen Mollah, Head of Sales of UCC, Muhahid Al Beruni Sujan, Sales Director of Smart Technologies participated at the discussion.
