Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, today emphasized that every citizen of Bangladesh must cultivate environmental consciousness.
During a discussion titled “Reforms in Environmental Governance: Current Context and Future Challenges” at the Department of Environment (DoE) auditorium, held to mark World Environment Day, Rizwana Hasan posed critical questions: “Roads, flyovers, and electricity cannot be considered the only basic needs of life. If the air and water are polluted, electricity alone cannot ensure well-being. What will you do with electricity if the air you breathe causes lung cancer? What will be with good roads if we don’t have enough trees to purify the air?”
The environment adviser stressed the urgent need to integrate environmental education into the national curriculum, mainstream environmental considerations across all ministries’ activities, and prioritize environmental studies and public awareness campaigns. She asserted that “Development without environmental protection is not sustainable. We must pursue development keeping harmony with the nature.”Rizwana Hasan called for the immediate recruitment to vacant posts within the DoE, noting that while project preparation is time-consuming, outsourcing is necessary in certain areas. Expressing disappointment over current budgetary limitations, she stated, “We are among the lowest-budgeted ministries. With such limited resources, it is impossible to carry out effective monitoring, enforcement, and restoration. Once nature is destroyed, it requires significantly more investment to restore it.”
Highlighting challenges such as shutting down illegal brick kilns, managing human-elephant conflict, installing CCTV, and other conservation efforts, the adviser underscored the pressing need to fill vacant positions and reform land and infrastructure-related laws. She added, “To strengthen enforcement, we must allocate funds for night patrols and introduce technology-based online monitoring systems.”
Rizwana Hasan also emphasized the importance of strengthening the environmental clearance and monitoring system. She lamented, “It is unfortunate that our legal team cannot act even when power connections are cut. How can someone run a business without an environmental clearance?”
The meeting, chaired by DoE Director General Dr. Md. Kamruzzaman, included addresses from Dr. Fahmida Khanom, Additional Secretary of the Ministry; Dr. Tanvir Ahmed, Professor at BUET; Dr. Khondaker Rashidul Huq, former DoE Director General; Mukit Majumdar Babu, Chairman of Prakriti o Jibon Foundation; Abu Hasnat Md. Maksud Sinha, Executive Director of Waste Concern; Professor Nur Mohammad Talukder, President of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA); and Bareesh Hasan Chowdhury, Campaign Coordinator of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA). DoE Director Masud Iqbal Md. Shamim presented a keynote paper at the event. Sources
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