Staff Correspondent, Dhaka
A cleaner Bangladesh requires joint efforts from the government, private sector, and civil society, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser for the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Water Resources, has said.
Speaking at a dialogue organized by Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) at the CIRDAP Auditorium in Dhaka, she stressed that urban waste management challenges are growing.
She highlighted ongoing initiatives to curb air and dust pollution. Plans include phasing out 4,500 old buses, planting trees along road dividers, and launching a Buriganga River cleanup project, which will proceed based on available funding.
Rizwana emphasized that legislation alone is not enough—effective implementation is crucial. Local government, civil society, and the private sector must play a more active role, she added.
Dhaka South City Corporation Chief Waste Management Officer Air Commodore Md Mahbubur Rahman Talukdar said: " About 3,000 to 3,200 tons of garbage are collected every day in Dhaka city. Even if the same amount of waste is collected every day on 190 acres of land, the landfill will be filled with waste in the next 7 to 8 years.
"So we have to think of alternatives in the meantime. The process of waste to energy from all this waste will start this year. Besides, we are doing a pilot program in Jigatola and Dhanmondi-15. Three types of waste will be collected from each house in these two areas. If we are successful here, we will start this process in other areas as well. "
At that time, regarding the waste collectors, he said: "We are trying to provide medical allowances to those who work at the field level in waste collection. In addition, activities are also underway to provide some money to these workers after their death. At the same time, we will talk to the hospital authorities so that they also can get treatment in some hospitals."
Practical Action Bangladesh Country Director Ishrat Shabnam said: "The Ministry of Finance is not doing sustainability-related financing in the right way. There are gaps in many sectors. I hope that special attention will be paid to these aspects in the next financial year."
Regarding the implementation of the law, she added: "We are working with about 11 municipalities and one city corporation. Where we are working on waste collection, management, and worker protection. While we are working, we have seen that in many cases the law is not followed properly. We have to be more strict in the proper implementation of the law. Otherwise, it will be difficult to manage waste properly and keep our cities clean."
Other speakers underscored the importance of solid waste collection, reuse, and recycling while identifying a lack of public awareness and poor management as major challenges.
The discussion concluded with calls for stronger public-private partnerships and collective action to enhance waste management and civic awareness.
