Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on Wednesday said that air pollution control requires a structured, long-term strategy considering 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 comprehensive action plan.
Speaking as the chief guest at a "Stakeholder Consultation Workshop on the Bangladesh Clean Air Project" held at the Department of Environment, Dhaka, she stressed that pollution reduction efforts must go beyond monitoring and reporting air quality deterioration.
She said 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 said.
The adviser 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, she added.
She highlighted that planting trees along road dividers can help reduce dust pollution, as already observed in the areas surrounding the Padma Bridge.
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.
