When it comes to issues of climate change, we have a duty to do everything we can in the fight against it, not only because it is a global issue, one which affects every nation in the world, but because Bangladesh continues be one of the countries most vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.
One of the ways in which we can contribute is taking drastic steps against the use of plastic, with research indicating it is set to be one of the top carbon emitters as, unfortunately, its use has continued to increase throughout the world.
Most recently, findings suggest that our oceans contain more plastic waste than initially thought, over 150 million tons of waste, with the Atlantic Ocean alone containing up to 47 million tons.
The effects of this build-up of waste will be devastating for our oceans and the species they are home to, not to mention the widespread environmental impact and it is high time that the world took drastic steps to curb and eventually eliminate the use of plastic altogether and move towards more sustainable materials.
Bangladesh itself continues to be an offender as plastic pollution and mismanagement of plastic waste remains rampant, leading to massive problems in our drainage system and causing irreparable damage to our own environment and wildlife.
This has continued despite the fact that plastic is banned -- a rule that has become completely acceptable to ignore, with polythene bags now easily available at departmental stores down the street.
We must do better than this. Governmental policy must consider and prioritize environmental impacts and work towards ensuring that our country moves away from unsustainable and harmful materials like plastic.