Today at the meeting room of the Local Government Division in the Secretariat, he said this in his presidential speech at the ministerial exchange meeting organized on waste management, water and other pollution prevention. Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintu and State Minister Sheikh Faridul Islam participated in the meeting.
The Local Government Minister said environmental pollution is currently one of the country's biggest challenges. Urbanization, unplanned waste management, dumping of waste into rivers and water bodies, and the use of single-use plastic and polythene are creating increasing pressure on the environment. To tackle these problems, coordinated and planned measures must be taken, not isolated initiatives.
The minister further said government initiatives alone are not enough to protect the environment; increasing public awareness and building environment-friendly behavior is equally important. In particular, there is a need to take effective measures to reduce the use of harmful polythene bags and increase the use of alternative environment-friendly materials.
In his speech as the distinguished guest, the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister highlighted various initiatives and ongoing activities of his ministry to protect the environment and said that in addition to strengthening coordination among various government institutions, importance must also be given to raising public awareness.
At the exchange meeting, detailed discussions were held on various issues including water pollution, solid waste management, environmental pollution control, river conservation, and controlling the use of polythene harmful to the environment.
The meeting was also attended by Dhaka North City Corporation Administrator Md. Shafiqul Islam Khan, Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Md. Abdus Salam, Local Government Division Secretary Md. Shahidul Hasan, Rural Development and Cooperatives Division Secretary Mohang Shawkat Rashid Chowdhury, and senior officials of the Local Government Division, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, both city corporations and other relevant departments and agencies.
In the meeting, the speakers emphasized the need to further strengthen inter-ministerial coordination to improve waste management, control water and environmental pollution, and ensure a sustainable environment.
