Dhaka: The government has enacted a ban on the construction of new industrial establishments within a 10-kilometer radius of the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest situated in the southwestern part of Bangladesh. This directive, issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, aims to protect the ecological integrity of the area.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the ministry released a gazette notification exercising the authority provided by Section-5 of the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, 1995 (Amended 2010). The directive specifically prohibits the construction of new industrial projects in the designated Ecologically Critical Area (ECA) surrounding the Sundarbans Reserve Forest.
Despite the ban, the notification allows for environmentally sustainable activities that focus on conserving the natural environment, improving environmental quality, controlling and mitigating pollution, and ensuring sustainable management within the ECA.
The decision underscores a strategic move to preserve the ecological balance in the region encircling the Sundarbans, as highlighted in a press release from the ministry.