Health and environment of Bangladesh is in a threat because of large and unnecessary usage of polythene. As there is no limit of usage and production and moreover no alternative is available in the market so people are being forced to use polythene. Though there are some initiatives to ban polythenes, none of them seem to be effective. In this circumstance, on 25^th November 2015, Poribesh Bachao Andolon (POBA), Work for a Better Bangladesh (WBB) Trust, Ainer Pathshala, Youth Sun, Dhaka Juba Foundation and Puran Dhaka Nagorik Uddog jointly organized a demonstration in front of Charukola Faculty on demand of controlling polythenes and making jute goods available to all.  

The demonstration was presided over Abu Naser Khan, Chairman, Poribesh Bachao Andolon (POBA). The speakers were Advocate Subrata Das Khokon, Chairman, Ainer Pathshala; Atique Morshed, Coordinator, POBA; Suman Rahman, Program Manager; Tofayel Ahmed, Engineer; Md Atiqur Rahman, Project Officer, WBB Trust; MD Selim, Joint Secretary, POBA; Makibul Hasan Bappi, Chairman, Youth Sun;  Abul Hasnat, Chairman, Modern Club; Suman Mahmud, Environmentalist; Shahid Mahmud Shahidullah, Chairman, Dhaka Juba Foundation; S K M A Qader, Financial Secretary, NASAF; Md Najimuddin, Chairman, Puran Dhaka Nagorik Udog, Md Imran Hossain; Nayeema Haque, Student, Home Economics; Shahana Parven and many more.

Speakers said that, on an average each family uses 4 poly bags in Dhaka every day.  It means each day more than 1 crore poly bags are thrown away as garbage. These cause blockade in water flow. As polythene is aseptic, it lessens the fertility of soil. There is chance of getting infected with cancer and skin diseases by eating foods packed with polythenes. Fish and mat easily rot when they are packed with polythnes. If plastic garbage is burnt below 700 degree Celsius, they produce dioxin type gas, which causes cancer, skin disease and many inherent errors.

According to article 6a of Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, 1995 (amended by number 9 law of 2002), government has banned manufacturing, importing, marketing, sales, distribution and commercial use of any kind of poly bags and goods made of polyethylene or polypropylene, which are threatening for the environment.

There are about one thousand banned polythene industries in Bangladesh. Most of these are based n Dhaka. There is powerful syndicate in charge of polythene business. There are many polythene industries in Mirur, Karwan Bazar, Tejgaon, Kamrangir Char and Tongi. There are more than hundred polythene industries from Jatrabari to Fatulla, Narayanganj. There is also a powrful syndicate in charge of polythene business in Chittagong.

Because of large usage of polythene the popularity of jute products are decreasing. At the same time jute cultivation is also decreasing. Our potential jute sector has been demolished because of our negligence. Government should play an important role to revitalize the sector.

According to article 4 of Mandatory Jute Packaging Act, 2010 (53 no act of 2010) (amended by 38 no act of 2013), no one can packet, sale or deliver specific products without packaging without jute.

Our demands: implement polythene banning act, ban usage of poly bags, strict enforcement of existing laws and severely punish the violators of law, promote usage of jute goods as the alternate of polythene and aware people to use jute good. Moreover, high tax should be imposed on raw materials of polythene.