Green campaigners have criticised the Department of Environment, terming its law enforcement against different types of pollution in the past seven months ‘inadequate’.
They also said that the department’s routine drives against the use of single-use plastics, sound pollution and other environmental hazards were ‘merely cosmetic’.
On July 24, a DoE press note said that the department conducted 496 mobile court drives against banned polythene, filed 929 cases and collected Tk 68,79,100 in fines between November 3, 2024 and July 24, 2025.
During the period, 251.54 kilograms of banned polythene were seized while 16 polythene factories were sealed and disconnected from utility services, it said.
Fardous Ahmed Uzzal, general secretary of Paribesh O Jalabayu Paribartan Andolan, a platform for environmental conservation and climate change movement, told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ·, ‘The DoE’s inadequate drives failed to motivate and mobilise people against environmental pollution.’
Green activist Amirul Rajiv, also leader of the Bangladesh Tree Protection Movement, said, ‘The actions taken by the interim government regarding polythene and air pollution are mostly for show — just to get the media coverage. Look around, there’s no visible change.’
Fardous criticised its ineffective measures against the polythene factories.
‘Have the authorities succeeded in shutting the import of raw materials and production of single-use polythene completely?’ he questioned.
Under the Noise Pollution (Control) Rules, 2006, the DoE conducted five mobile court drives in Dhaka, Jashore, Rajbari and Khulna between January 2 and July 24.
During the drives, 27 hydraulic horns were confiscated and 19 cases were filed, imposing fines amounting to Tk 26,500, according to the department.
Criticising the negligence in its efforts on controlling import and marketing of the prohibited hydraulic horns, Fardous termed the outcomes ‘very insignificant’.
Rajiv complained that the authorities concerned did not encourage technological innovation and sustainable solutions.
‘Have we seen any special message or punishment directed at the producers primarily responsible for plastic pollution? We haven’t,’ he said, alleging that there was a lack of community engagement and proper research or feasibility study on the part of the government before enforcing environmental laws.
Recently, the DoE has claimed that it took a tough stance on environmental pollution and conducted a total of 1,262 mobile
court drives across the country from January 2 to July 24.
The drives targeted air, noise, water, solid waste pollution, illegal use of banned polythene, hazardous lead and battery recycling, wetland encroachment, unauthorised brick kilns, and tire pyrolysis factories.
During January 2-July 24, Tk 25,75,95,800 was collected in fines following the filing of 3,063 cases. A total of 484 illegal brick kiln chimneys were demolished, leading to the complete shutdown of the brick kilns, while 216 more were issued strict closure directives, according to the department.
The department’s additional director general Sohrab Ali said, ‘We are enforcing environmental laws with a limited manpower.’
He said that drives against environment polluters would continue.   Â