Environmental destruction in name of development not acceptable: Rizwana
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan spoke at second session of the “Conference on Agricultural Production and Biodiversity” at a hotel in the capital today. Photo : PID
DHAKA, May 5, 2025 (BSS) – Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan today said sustainable development is not possible without harmonising agriculture, biodiversity and food security.
“Destroying the environment in the name of development is not acceptable,” she said.
“We must bring environmental concerns into the mainstream,” she said while speaking as the chief guest at the second session of the “Conference on Agricultural Production and Biodiversity” at Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon here.
“To ensure food security, we must conserve the environment and protect the rights of farmers,” the environment adviser said.
She said the notion that development inevitably harms the environment needs to change.
When effective action is taken against industrial pollution, concerns are raised over the potential loss of jobs for thousands of workers, while the livelihoods and safe drinking water of millions dependent on rivers are often ignored, Rizwana said.
She voiced alarm over the illegal extraction of topsoil from agricultural land for brick kilns, calling it “a form of plunder.”
The environment adviser said the government is working to pass the Agricultural Land Protection Act, stressing that without such a law, agricultural land in Bangladesh may cease to exist.
Highlighting the importance of organic farming, Rizwana said excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides is degrading the soil.
“We must immediately invest in the production and distribution of organic fertilizers. Despite pressure from multinational corporations, we need to develop our own agricultural model,” she said.
The environment adviser urged both the state and individuals to rethink consumption habits, saying, “We complain about power shortages, yet we waste electricity with unnecessary air conditioning and lighting.”
She said consumption patterns and environmental considerations must go hand in hand.
Rizwana also shared a promising update: the government has initiated a restoration project in the Madhupur Sal Forest. Eucalyptus trees are being removed and replaced with native sal trees and other endangered species, she added.
She emphasised the urgent need to reform policies, laws, and behavioral practices to ensure a sustainable future.
The session was also addressed by economist and former Jahangirnagar University professor Anu Muhammad; Abdul Awal Mintoo, Chairman of Multimode Group; Prof Dr Abdur Rab, Vice-Chancellor of IUBAT; Azam J. Chowdhury, Chairman of East Coast Group; Prof Dr Tofazzal Islam of Gazipur Agricultural University; and Khushi Kabir, Vice President of Bangladesh Poribesh Bachao Andolon (POBA), among others.