Syeda Rizwana Hasan rose to prominence at the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), which has long been working to build public awareness and promote environmental activism in the country. Rizwana, currently serving as the environment adviser, began taking effective measures to protect the environment soon after assuming this new role and has drawn nationwide attention for her firm steps to protect Bangladesh’s environment.
From banning single-use plastics to recovering forest lands and halting destructive public and private projects, her initiatives have not only addressed key environmental concerns but have also generated widespread appreciation.
In recent public appearances, Rizwana has stressed the need to change everyday habits, saying that everything has an alternative.
One just needs to mentally prepare oneself, she says.
She highlights how storing meat and fish in plastic wrap leads to microplastic contamination, particularly harmful to mothers and children.
These microplastics, she warns, can cause severe health problems.
Citing common household practices, she says many women unknowingly contaminate food by wrapping it in polythene.
Drinking hot beverages from plastic cups, now a social norm, also poses health risks, she adds.
Rizwana points out that students today use single-use ballpoint pens in large numbers.
If a student uses one pen every three days, that is at least 121 pens a year, she estimates, adding that these discarded pens do not decompose and contribute significantly to soil pollution.
Students in Bangladesh once relied on ink pens, she notes. Doctors, engineers, lawyers and people we now consider icons wrote exams with ink pens and still excelled, she says, reiterating that it is a matter of habit.
With digital alternatives now widely used, Rizwana suggests using pencils for daily writing tasks to reduce plastic waste. She acknowledges concerns about wood use but says fast-growing trees can serve as sustainable sources.
Shifting from plastic bottles to glass
Rizwana advocates replacing plastic water bottles with glass ones.
In developed countries like China and Japan, she notes, citizens carry reusable steel or glass bottles and refill them from designated places.
In Bangladesh, the habit of buying disposable plastic bottles from roadside shops continues to grow unchecked, she says.
Drives against air pollution
Since taking office, Rizwana has accelerated environmental enforcement.
From January 2 to April 23, the Department of Environment (DoE) conducted 794 mobile court drives targeting excessive vehicle emissions, illegal brick kilns, polluting steel mills, noise pollution, hazardous waste discharge, battery recycling factories, waterbody encroachment, tyre pyrolysis, charcoal factories, and open storage of construction materials.
These drives resulted in 1,700 cases and Tk23.97 crore in fines.
A total of 454 brick kilns were shut down, 210 were ordered to cease operations, and 127 had their raw bricks destroyed.
One person was jailed for a month, while eight trucks of battery-melting equipment were seized and one factory was shut down.
Nationwide crackdown on polythene
Since November 3, 374 mobile court drives have been conducted against banned polythene bags.
The drives led to Tk55 lakh in fines and the seizure of 169,000kg of polythene from 685 establishments.
Canals and rivers reclaimed
The adviser has taken special steps to recover canals and rivers in Dhaka and across the country to restore water flow.
Forest land recovery efforts gain ground
Despite political pressure in the past, the Forest Department has now launched extensive drives to reclaim its land.
In March alone, 251 acres of encroached forest land were recovered.
Since Rizwana’s appointment in August, 1,717 acres have been cleared of illegal occupants.
No exceptions for the powerful
Attempts to lease forest land for private institutions, such as a cadet college in Ramu, Cox’s Bazar, were revoked.
The interim government has returned 155.7 acres of reserved forest land to the Forest Department.
Plans for public projects on forest land have also been cancelled. These include 700 acres for a public administration academy and 20 acres for a football training centre.
BEZA’s allocation of 9,467 acres on Sonadia Island has been revoked and ordered to be handed over to the Forest Department.
A letter was also issued for the return of 4,104 acres of unused forest land in Mirsarai to the department.
Importing birds requires official clearance
Bangladesh, a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), has digitised the No Objection Certificate (NOC) and permit system for importing and exporting birds listed under CITES appendices.
Protecting wild elephants
To prevent human-elephant conflict, six special teams have been formed in elephant-populated areas.
An 11-member expert committee has also been established to work in areas like Anwara and Karnafuli.
Emergency Response Team (ERT) members now receive daily allowances based on attendance.
Compensation for wildlife attacks
Under the 2021 compensation regulation, more than Tk2 crore has been distributed to 494 victims of wildlife attacks between August and April.
Plastic banned in parks
The Forest Department has banned the use of plastic and picnics in all national parks, eco parks, and botanical gardens.
In addition, 144 acres in Purbachal have been designated a biodiversity zone.
Extortion using elephants to be stopped
The ministry has moved to end the long-standing practice of using trained elephants for extortion.
Recent drives in Muradnagar (Comilla), Rupganj (Narayanganj), and Kotalipara (Gopalganj) led to the rescue of three elephants and the cancellation of related licences.
Stolen wildlife rescued
Between the night of March 23 and the early morning of March 24, three ring-tailed lemurs were stolen from Gazipur Safari Park.
One has been recovered under the direct orders of the environment adviser, and a suspect has been arrested. Efforts to recover the remaining two are ongoing.
