Plastic waste management remains a serious challenge in Bangladesh.
According to Brac’s 2024 Baseline Study conducted in Cox’s Bazar, an estimated 34.5 tons of plastic waste are mismanaged daily in the municipality -- much of it flowing into canals, drains, and eventually the sea.
The study also found that only 18% of the population practices waste segregation at source, with many lacking access to formal waste collection services.
In response to the growing plastic pollution crisis, a high-level national dialogue titled “Municipal Waste Management: Addressing Plastic Pollution in Bangladesh” was held on Wednesday at InterContinental Dhaka.
Organized by Brac under its flagship Plastic Free Rivers and Seas for South Asia (PLEASE) project -- funded by the World Bank with support from South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP) and United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) -- the event brought together senior government officials, municipal leaders, private sector representatives, researchers, and development practitioners.
AKM Tariqul Alam, additional secretary, Local Government Division (LGD) and Mohammad Navid Safiullah, additional secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) graced the event as guests of honour.
Bushra Nishat, environmental specialist, The World Bank, attended as the special guest. The welcome address was delivered by Imamul Azam Shahi, program head, Urban Development Programme (UDP), while Md Ekhtekharul Islam, a faculty member at the Independent University, presented the keynote.
Sankalita Shome, chief coordinator at the Bangladesh Sustainability Alliance (BSA), moderated the panel discussion. Insights were shared by Rubaiya Afroz, municipal administrator, Cox’s Bazar Municipality; Kazi Suman, senior chemist (Waste and Chemicals Management), Department of Environment (DoE); Rubina Ferdousi, deputy secretary, MoEFCC; Bitopi Das Chowdhury, country head of Corporate Affairs and Brand and Marketing, Standard Chartered Bangladesh; Ishrat Shabnam, country director, Practical Action; and Dharitri Kumar Sarkar, joint secretary (Climate Change), MoEFCC.
Speaking at the event, AKM Tariqul Alam emphasised the importance of preventing plastic waste from flowing downstream into the sea by strengthening systems that intercept waste along rivers and streams. He added that Bangladesh can benefit from both studying international best practices and scaling up homegrown, locally-led innovations in waste management.
Mohammad Navid Safiullah said that the ministry has reinforced regulatory measures and scaled up enforcement to address the growing plastic pollution crisis. In parallel, it actively promotes sustainable alternatives, such as jute- and potato starch-based products. He noted that initiatives like the PLEASE project are already producing promising results, including a 15% improvement in source segregation and noticeable reductions in plastic waste hotspots -- demonstrating the impact of coordinated action and stakeholder commitment.
Bushra Nishat highlighted that although Bangladesh’s per capita plastic use -- around 9kg annually -- is significantly lower than that of countries like the US or UK, the consequences of mismanaged plastic waste are much more severe.
She identified inadequate source segregation as a major challenge and underscored the need for household-level awareness to drive meaningful community participation in waste management.
In his closing remarks and vote of thanks, Dr Md Liakath Ali, director, Climate Change, Urban Development and Disaster Risk Management Program at Brac, stressed the importance of multi-level stakeholder coordination and the adoption of circular economy principles to address plastic waste effectively.
With increasing momentum in plastic waste management efforts, he expressed hope that Bangladesh is moving steadily towards its long-term vision of zero waste.
The dialogue underscored the need for stronger municipal leadership and coordination. Participants emphasised that city governments must be equipped with the authority, resources, and capacity to implement effective, locally-led waste management solutions.
Speakers highlighted persistent gaps in collection, segregation, and enforcement -- particularly in urban coastal areas such as Cox’s Bazar, where tourism and the influx of Rohingya populations have intensified the challenge.
While national policies are in place, translating them into actionable interventions at the municipal level remains a critical hurdle.
An exhibition was also organized as part of the event, showcasing innovative solutions piloted under the PLEASE project in Cox’s Bazar.
Green entrepreneurs -- including ProPad, DenimRevive, Repro, Wonder Garden, EcoCare, EcoSundar Khulna, and Art for Arter -- displayed recycled and upcycled products, such as shoes made from discarded denim and eco-friendly sanitary items.
Guests were introduced to the project’s aesthetically designed communal bins and a proposed plastic recycling facility -- both aimed at encouraging municipalities to adopt inclusive and sustainable waste management practices.
Notably, data from the PLEASE project indicate that approximately 12.5% of household waste in Cox’s Bazar is plastic.
This level of pollution poses a serious threat to coastal ecosystems and to the lives and livelihoods of communities that depend on the sea.
The project aims to establish an effective platform for plastic waste management in Cox’s Bazar through cross-sectoral coordination.
It is working to develop practical, sustainable solutions grounded in inclusive, multi-stakeholder participation.
