UNB, Dhaka :
Green activists here on Wednesday called for popularising jute bags to check the widespread use of polythene shopping bags and thus protect the public health from its adverse impacts.
They came up with the demand at a human chain programme jointly organised by Paribesh Banchao Andolan (Poba), Work for Better Bangladesh (WBB) Trust and Dhaka Jubo Foundation in front of the Fine Arts Faculty of Dhaka University.
Poba Chairman Abu Naser Khan, its coordinator Atiq Morshed, president of Ainer Pathshala Subrata Das Khokan, Modern Club president Abul Hasnat and WBB Trust programme officer Atiqur Rahman,
among others, spoke at the programme. Abu Naser Khan said people are compelled to use polythene bags due to the authorities’ failure to check polythene bags and lack of available alternative products.
The government often conducts drives on polythene factories in the country, but no effective initiative has been taken yet to popularise jute products, he said. Naser Khan said there are about 1,000 polythene factories in the country, mostly in old Dhaka. About one crore pieces of polythene bags are used in Dhaka city a day as one household on an average uses four poly bags.
He said used poly bags are indiscriminately dumped into drains, cannels and wetlands causing the sewerage system to collapse, in addition to water-logging and environmental pollution. The speakers said since polythene never decomposes with soil, it affects soil fertility and creates impediment towards spreading useful bacteria on earth components.
Green activists here on Wednesday called for popularising jute bags to check the widespread use of polythene shopping bags and thus protect the public health from its adverse impacts.
They came up with the demand at a human chain programme jointly organised by Paribesh Banchao Andolan (Poba), Work for Better Bangladesh (WBB) Trust and Dhaka Jubo Foundation in front of the Fine Arts Faculty of Dhaka University.
Poba Chairman Abu Naser Khan, its coordinator Atiq Morshed, president of Ainer Pathshala Subrata Das Khokan, Modern Club president Abul Hasnat and WBB Trust programme officer Atiqur Rahman,
among others, spoke at the programme. Abu Naser Khan said people are compelled to use polythene bags due to the authorities’ failure to check polythene bags and lack of available alternative products.
The government often conducts drives on polythene factories in the country, but no effective initiative has been taken yet to popularise jute products, he said. Naser Khan said there are about 1,000 polythene factories in the country, mostly in old Dhaka. About one crore pieces of polythene bags are used in Dhaka city a day as one household on an average uses four poly bags.
He said used poly bags are indiscriminately dumped into drains, cannels and wetlands causing the sewerage system to collapse, in addition to water-logging and environmental pollution. The speakers said since polythene never decomposes with soil, it affects soil fertility and creates impediment towards spreading useful bacteria on earth components.
