ACCORDING to a local English daily, shopkeepers, traders and manufacturers are continuing the usage of polythene bags disregarding the law while the Textile and Jute Ministry is seeking intervention of the Prime Minister for strict implementation of the Jute Packaging Act (along with other laws prohibiting the usage of polythene).
That is efficient government regulation of Polythene Bag usage for packaging and selling seems at an all-time low as illegal businesses are continuing the production of polythene bags despite a ban on its usage imposed by the government years ago.
Despite massive campaigns and crackdown on law-breakers, the government failed to ensure mandatory use of jute sacks for packaging food and agricultural products under the existing jute-packaging law. Even though the government has so far launched a total of 30 mobile court drives in 12 districts and fined culprits around Tk five lakh for violating Jute Packaging Act, but failed to take action against the polythene producers. Concerned Jute officials ignoring the responsibility blamed the Department of Environment mandated by law to take action in this regard.
A report earlier showed the traders became upset as the natural Jute fibre was ‘costlier and difficult to maintain quality’. Poor compliance of the law was also blamed on the high prices of jute bags and sacks in comparison to synthetic ones. The report also mentioned unavailability of proper jute packaging and deterioration of quality of the goods being packed.
However, polythene usage is much more damaging to the environment and consequently, the government issued various acts, amendments and circulars so that everybody should abide by the necessary laws. But to no effect.
It is reported that the prevalence of polythene bag usage is rampant as the polythene production business is being controlled by strong syndicates with influence over a certain section of government officials. This diminishes the few efforts made by the government in protecting the environment and checking human health hazards by enacting new laws making jute packaging mandatory.
The traders and manufacturers cannot be allowed to give flimsy excuses and disregard strict laws just to earn a quick profit as this enables them and others to continue criminal activity and harming the environment. We request that the government should intervene and impose strict punishment on the wrongdoers of the business society.
And that to happen, the government officials who are openly colluding with the corrupt business syndicates for personal gains should be seriously punished so that total ban on polythene products usage as well as their production could be banned.
