What do you call a country where air is among the deadliest in the world, rivers are suffocating in filth, and enforcement is too busy to notice? For Bangladesh, this is not a dystopia but a daily reality.
Bangladesh ranks 176th out of 180 countries in the 2024 Environmental Performance Index (EPI), reflecting its severe pollution levels, according to Yale and Columbia University. There has been a persistent lack of improvement in Bangladesh’s air quality. Between 2019 to 2024, it has repeatedly occupied the first or second positions, reflecting the worst air quality in the world. In this sphere, criticism against regulatory bodies is expected.
Sharif & Uddin (2023) have found “soft” and “hard” patterns of environmental harm. Soft patterns refer to citizens' behaviours, including throwing garbage at random, spoiling tourist spots, and open burning. Hard patterns include untreated dumping, river grabbing, and sand filling. In this context, engaging citizens to reduce soft patterns and fostering collective resistance to hard patterns are a foundational step toward fruitful environmental reform.
From disappearing forestry and toxic e-waste to industrial discharge and chaotic urban growth, Bangladesh faces a mounting environmental crisis. The main responsible body, the Department of Environment (DoE), often fails to detect environmental harms and enforce necessary measures effectively. The call for stronger environmental governance is urgent.
Climate change has intensified threats in the southern and southwestern regions, where illegal sand mining, logging, land grabbing, and toxic waste dumping have become rampant. Unregulated groundwater extraction adds long-term ecological risks. While some actions may not meet the legal definition of a crime, they have dangerous long-term effects. In these circumstances, the concept of “green policing” (GP) is emerging as a significant way to safeguard the nation’s natural resources and sustainable development.
GP refers to a specialized form of law enforcement dedicated to enforcing environmental laws, preventing degradation, investigating environmental crimes, and collaborating with relevant stakeholders to promote ecological justice. Its core objective is to promote environmental justice while bolstering sustainable development, community engagement, and environmental education.
Beyond traditional enforcement, GP also has the potential to foster greater public awareness and participation. To address environmental issues effectively, a specialized uniformed force is crucial for engaging communities in environmental regulation. To truly combat environmental issues, the government should concentrate on proactive response, where people in society are aware of the consequences of their actions.
A robust GP framework aligns with Bangladesh’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly goal 13 (climate action).
However, establishing GP in Bangladesh presents several challenges. The Bangladesh police, with nearly 2,13,000personnel (Prothom Alo, 2024) and a police-to-public ratio of nearly 1:850, is primarily occupied with violent crimes; consequently, environmental protection remains a peripheral concern. Moreover, current policing styles are unable to enforce environmental laws due to legal authority, insufficient manpower, and inadequate resources.
Although Bangladesh has enacted over 200 environment-related laws, including the Environmental Conservation Act (1995), the Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act (2012), and the Forest Act (1927), enforcement remains weak. Agencies such as the DoE and the Department of Forest struggle with poor coordination, limited expertise, resource constraints, and bureaucratic delays, all of which hinder timely legal action against environmental offenders.
To turn GP into reality, a coordinated and strategic approach is essential.
First, the government should institutionalize dedicated green policing units within the national police structure, ensuring clear mandates. Second, environmental responsibilities must be delineated among the pertinent departments to avoid overlaps. Third, officers must receive training in environmental law, forensics, and modern tools. Crucially, collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the media, and civil society is vital. GP must be embedded within a broader environmental governance framework, not treated as a standalone force.
GP holds tremendous promise for Bangladesh. As the country strides forward in development, ensuring ecological integrity must be a simultaneous priority. GP enables preservation of the environment through connecting with local communities. The time for bureaucratic delay is over. Green policing is not merely about protecting trees; it’s about safeguarding lives, ensuring justice, and securing our collective future.
Pollov Chakraborty is a researcher in criminology and environmental justice, and a postgraduate student of Criminology at University of Chittagong.
