Speakers at a seminar on Thursday stressed the need for redefining the waste management trajectory urgently to curb the rising plastic pollution as over 87,000 tonnes of plastic waste entering Bangladesh's marine ecosystems annually.
They said reinforced Bangladesh's commitment to its National Action Plan for Sustainable Plastic Management (2020-2030), which aims to reduce plastic waste by 30%, recycle 50%, and eliminate 90% of targeted single-use plastics by 2026.
The Department of Environment (DoE) in partnership with UNOPS and BIMSTEC arranged the high-level seminar titled "Accelerating Solutions for Plastic Pollution in Bangladesh" at the DoE office in the city's Agargaon area focusing on the 2025 World Environment Day theme.
Addressing the event, BIMSTEC Secretary-General Indra Mani Pandey said plastic pollution is a shared global and regional threat, demanding shared solutions. "BIMSTEC stands ready to deepen regional cooperation to achieve a plastic-smart Bay of Bengal region," he said.
Industries Secretary Obaidur Rahman said, "We must embed sustainability into every level of industrial development. This seminar is an important step toward aligning environmental responsibility with industrial transformation."
Chairing the seminar, DoE Director General Kamruzzaman said, "The Department of Environment is committed to operationalising our plastic action plan through innovation, accountability, and inclusive collaboration across sectors and borders."
UNOPS Country Manager (for Bangladesh and Bhutan) Sudhir Muralidharan said plastic pollution is not just an environmental issue, rather it is an infrastructure and behavioral challenge that demands bold, collective action. "UNOPS is committed to supporting Bangladesh through scalable solutions and regional partnerships to turn ambitious targets into measurable impact," he said.
Besides, ESDO Secretary General Dr Shahriar Hossain, DoE Deputy Director (Waste and Chemical Management) Abdullah Al Mamun, journalist Iftekhar Mahmud and Head of Procurement of Unilever Dilruba Ahmed, among others, spoke at the event.
The speakers explored innovative financing mechanisms and behavioral change strategies and shared insights on national policy implementation and petrochemical industry innovation and Media as a Catalyst for Public Awareness on Plastic Pollution.
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