Staff Reporter :
A total of 2,516 raids have been conducted from January 2019 to December 2023 for the crime of production and use of banned polythene, and a fine of Tk 6,17,87,250 has been realized as fine from 4,207 cases.
A total of 170 people have been sentenced on various prison terms, and 2,71.37 MT of raw materials, cereals, and polythene have been seized.
Apart from that, 16 regular cases have been filed. Various initiatives have been taken to increase public awareness.
Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Saber Hossain Chowdhury gave this information in response to a written question of MP Nuruddin Chowdhury Nayan in the Parliament on Tuesday.
Saber Hossain Chowdhury said that in the election manifesto of the current government, the use of environmentally friendly decomposable plastic instead of plastic products has been included to control the adverse impact of plastic products on the environment. The government has already formulated the ‘Solid Waste Management Rules, 2021’.
He also added that, 5R (Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recovery) policy has been taken as a basic principle in the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2021.
Following the High Court’s order to stop the use of single use plastic, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has identified 40 upazilas of 12 districts of the coastal region as coastal areas and formulated a 3-year action plan to stop the use of single use plastic in that area.
