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Syeda Rizwana Hasan, the Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Adviser, emphasized that reducing air pollution is a lengthy process that depends on factors such as economic capacity, development patterns, communication infrastructure, and the transportation system. She pointed out that around 30-35% of Bangladesh’s air pollution comes from external sources, while 28% is attributed to power plants. Rizwana stressed the importance of a well-defined action plan to effectively control pollution levels.
She added that addressing air pollution is impossible without improving fuel quality and increasing refinery capacity. Even neighboring countries that have enhanced their refineries continue to face air pollution challenges, often ranking among the most polluted cities. Rizwana underscored that Bangladesh needs a long-term strategy to effectively combat pollution.
She made these comments as the chief guest at a Stakeholder Consultation Workshop on the Bangladesh Clean Air Project at the Department of Environment (DoE) in Agargaon. During the workshop, Rizwana emphasized that simply monitoring and reporting on deteriorating air quality is insufficient. Concrete actions are required to bring about real change.
Rizwana announced that the DoE will introduce a hotline where citizens can report air pollution issues, particularly during the winter months. She also suggested that planting trees along road dividers could help mitigate dust pollution, as observed around the Padma Bridge area.
The adviser instructed the DoE to implement effective measures to control air pollution during the upcoming winter. She also called for bold economic decisions, including stricter measures against polluting brick kilns, and proposed suspending the operation of certain steel mills for 2-3 months in winter to reduce emissions.
In addition, Rizwana stressed the need to strictly enforce the ban on buses older than 20 years. She stated, “The project must be designed to ensure visible improvements in air quality. If we can reduce dust pollution by 13% and control industrial emissions, we will make significant progress.”
The World Bank has already joined the Bangladesh Clean Air Project, and Rizwana called for additional development partners to be involved to ensure the project meets the country’s needs and provides practical solutions for the people.
The event was also attended by Dr. Farhina Ahmed, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Dr. Md. Kamruzzaman, Director General of the DoE; Christian Albert Peter, Manager-Environment at the World Bank; and Anna Luisa Lima, Senior Environment Specialist at the World Bank.
