Dhaka: The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, in collaboration with the Department of Environment, conducted a monitoring drive on Friday morning aimed at curbing the use of banned polythene shopping bags. The inspection took place at Mohammadpur Agricultural Market and several nearby supermarkets in the capital.
According to United News of Bangladesh, members of the monitoring committee urged shoppers to switch to jute and cloth bags instead of polythene. Vendors received instructions to stop using polythene bags, with warnings of strict actions if such bags were found during future inspections, as stated in a media release signed by Dipankar Bar, Public Relations Officer of the ministry.
Tapan Kumar Biswas, additional secretary for Environmental Pollution Control and head of the monitoring team, informed the media that strict legal actions against polythene bag manufacturers will commence on November 3 to protect the environment. Instructions have been circulated to all district Deputy C
ommissioners and Department of Environment field officers to ensure compliance. Although mobile courts will not be operational on November 1 and 2 due to the weekend, monitoring will persist. Biswas urged public cooperation in the effort to eliminate the use of polythene bags.
Joint Secretary Mohammad Rezaul Karim, Deputy Secretary Rubina Ferdousi, and Environment Department Directors Rajinara Begum and Mohammad Masud Hasan Patwari, along with concerned officials, were also part of the monitoring committee.