Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan speaks at an event in Dhaka. File Photo: Courtesy
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Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan speaks at an event in Dhaka. File Photo: Courtesy
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, the adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has directed authorities to arrest the owners of the hilly lands if hill-cutting activities are detected rather than arresting workers.
She issued these directives today (19 January) during a stakeholder meeting on anti-polythene initiatives and environmental conservation held at the Theater Institute Chattagram.
Additionally, she ordered the Chattogram District Administration to prepare a list of all hills in Chattogram along with the names of their owners.
“The duty of public officials is to protect the hills in the country. If necessary, arrangements should be made to guard the hills at night,” she said.
To prevent hill-cutting, she suggested dividing Chattogram into seven regions and forming committees with officials from various government agencies to strengthen monitoring efforts.
Speaking about polythene and plastic, the adviser stated, “We had alternatives to polythene. We need to bring those alternatives back.”
The government is focusing on strict enforcement of laws and raising awareness among school and college students. Following a meeting with stakeholders at the Ministry of Home Affairs last week, operations were conducted in several areas of Dhaka where 100 tonnes of polythene were seized and utility services of factories involved in its production were disconnected.
On noise pollution, she remarked that controlling it is impossible without raising awareness among drivers. “Passengers need to make drivers aware of not honking unnecessarily. The government is also considering enacting new laws to control noise pollution,” she added.
The meeting, organised by the Chattogram City Corporation, was presided over by Mayor Shahadat Hossain. Special guests included Chattogram Divisional Commissioner Mohammad Zia Uddin, DIG of Chattogram Range Ahsan Habib Palash, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Chattogram Metropolitan Police (Crime) Humayun Kabir, and Chattogram City Corporation CEO Sheikh Mohammad Touhidul Islam.