This is highly commendable that the interim government begins a crackdown today (Sunday) against the key environmental scourge induced by the widespread use of polythene bags across the country.
But this great initiative is likely to turn out to be a fool's errand as alternatives of the polythene shopping bags have not made easily available everywhere including in the far-flung areas of the country.
Although it has been long past due for the concerned authorities to swing into action to prevent our environment from being polluted by the mass use of this nearly indestructible material, the government seemingly has taken the issue seriously this time.
For instance, earlier there was a ban imposed on the use of this kind of bags in the super shops mainly in the city areas. That was the beginning aimed at phasing out of polythene bags to the zero use.
This was clear when Syeda Rizwana Hasan, advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said that the ban on the polythene bags would be implemented through public awareness and involvement of all the stakeholders like vendors, retailers, shopping centres and store owners.
This is why the Ministry of Environment has launched a week-long public awareness campaign with the theme of promoting the jute and cloth bags. But strict measures against the manufacturers, users and wholesalers will be taken from November 3 with mobile courts working in the fields.
Yet, this is not the first time that the government tried to put in concerted efforts to eliminate polythene use. Earlier, many a drive was put in place, but did not yield any results. In 2006, the government banned polythene and unfortunately it was not effective. Within a few days, polythene bags became common in the market again. People eventually forgot about the ban and continued to use them.
Actually, the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act-1995 was amended in 2002 with the aim of protecting the environment and public health. Under this law, the minimum penalty for the production and marketing of polythene is a fine of Tk10,000, along with up to six months of rigorous imprisonment. Users of polythene bags face an immediate fine of Tk500.
But nothing has changed since that ban in 2002. Conversely, its usage increased dramatically, especially after the change of government in 2007. As a result, as per a study by the Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO), approximately eight crore polythene bags are used daily in Dhaka alone, most of which end up in waste harming our environment. These polythene bags are manufactured by nearly 3,000 factories stretching across the country.
We plead with the government not to step back from its drive in any circumstances against the use of polythene bags in order to present a pollution-free environment for the next generation.
