Staff Reporter
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Water Resources, stated that reducing air pollution is a time-consuming process dependent on economic capacity, development patterns, communication infrastructure, and the transport system. She noted that 30-35% of Bangladesh’s air pollution originates from foreign sources, while 28% comes from power plants, underscoring the need for a well-defined action plan to control pollution.

She emphasized that reducing air pollution is impossible without improving fuel quality and increasing refinery capacity. Even neighboring countries that have enhanced their refineries still struggle with air pollution, often ranking among the most polluted cities. Therefore, Bangladesh must adopt a long-term strategy to combat pollution effectively.

She made these remarks as the chief guest at a Stakeholder Consultation Workshop on the Bangladesh Clean Air Project held on Wednesday at the Department of Environment, Agargaon.

The Environmental Advisor further stressed that for this project to be meaningful, tangible progress in pollution reduction must be visible. Merely monitoring and reporting the deterioration of air quality is not enough; concrete actions must be taken. The Department of Environment will launch a hotline where citizens can report air pollution issues during the winter months.

She highlighted that planting trees along road dividers can help reduce dust pollution, as already observed in the areas surrounding the Padma Bridge. The Department of Environment has been directed to implement effective measures to control air pollution during the winter months in the coming year.

Calling for bold economic decisions to combat air pollution, she stressed the need for strict measures against polluting brick kilns and proposed that some steel mills may need to suspend operations for 2-3 months during winter to reduce emissions. Additionally, she emphasized the importance of strictly enforcing the ban on buses older than 20 years.

She stated, “This project must be designed in a way that ensures visible improvements in air quality. If we can reduce dust pollution by 13% and control industrial emissions, we will make significant progress.”

She further mentioned that the World Bank has already joined the project, and more development partners should be engaged to ensure that it meets the country’s real needs and provides practical solutions for the people.

The event was also addressed by Dr. Farhina Ahmed, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Dr. Md. Kamruzzaman NDC, Director General, Department of Environment; Christian Albert Peter, Manager-Environment, World Bank; and Anna Luisa Lima, Senior Environment Specialist, World Bank.