Md Hossain, Hathazari (Chattogram)

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said that strict monitoring will be done from November 1. The government has taken the initiative to ban polythene considering the aspect of health protection. Environmentally polluting polythene bags have once again spread widely in the Hatbazars of North Chattogram. All these polythene bags are polluting the environment due to dumping them on roads, drainage and various ponds in agricultural land. Despite the government's ban, the production and marketing of banned polythene continues in every haat-bazaar of North Chattogram, due to which the use of polythene in rural areas has taken a serious shape. From fish and meat shops to pharmacies, grocery stores and bakeries, polythene is now being used freely everywhere. The polyethylene used in the market today is slightly different.

The bags have no handles. When a customer buys fish or meat, a group of small boys rush to the bag. These polythene goods are being supplied to raw markets, grocery stores, bakeries or pharmacies. Although there is a law against the use, marketing and production of polythene bags, its use is constantly increasing due to non-enforcement of this law. According to experts, all the polythene bags that are currently being used in the market pose a serious threat to human health and the environment. If this situation continues, there will definitely be an environmental disaster.

The use of polythene has increased alarmingly in the upazilas of North Chittagong, including Hathazari Municipal Headquarters. In North Chattogram’s Hathazari, Fatikchari and Rauzan upazilas,

It can be seen that polythene bags are being used freely in the markets and shops here. Following the ban on polythene bags, in view of the petitions of various business groups and considering the public inconvenience, the government permitted the use of 100 micron thickness polythene for wrapping certain products until an alternative measure was adopted by a revised notification issued on August 11, 2002.

The notification states that polythene that can be used as a wrapper cannot be used as a shopping bag in the market. But it has been alleged that some traders are secretly marketing polyethylene with a thickness of less than 100 microns in the hope of making more profit by taking advantage of the concession. Although approved for wrapping, those polykin bags are now being handed over to buyers and sellers by the producers for the sake of more profit. For which the 'Polythene Prohibition Act' is being violated.

Toxic and destroying the environment. Due to some dishonest and corrupt officials, the health environment of lakhs of people of the country is facing threat today.