‘Green recovery plan, ban on plastic’: BNP unveils five measures to protect environment if elected to power

Marking World Environment Day 2025, the BNP has unveiled a five-point measure, including a National Green Recovery Plan, which it pledges to implement if the party comes to power in the next election.

The party’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman made the announcement in a post on his Facebook profile today (4 June).

“I am pleased to see that Bangladesh is observing World Environment Day 2025 through a range of meaningful programs and activities. At a time when reckless industrialisation and unplanned development practices continue to threaten ecosystems across the globe, this day serves as a crucial platform to raise awareness about the urgent need for environmental conservation and sustainable living,” Tarique’s post reads.

In light of today’s escalating climate crisis and worsening industrial pollution, a pragmatic and forward-looking national strategy is more needed than ever, he wrote in the post.

Should the BNP be elected to power again, the party pledges to undertake the following actions to safeguard Bangladesh’s environment:

1. Develop a National Green Recovery Plan with a strong focus on reforestation (planting 250 to 300 million trees within the next five years), renewable green energy, and sustainable agriculture

2. Ban harmful plastics and toxic chemicals, while promoting biodegradable alternatives across industries and households

3. Launch a comprehensive dredging and restoration program for rivers and canals to combat waterlogging and protect aquatic ecosystems

4. Support climate-resilient agriculture and infrastructure in the country’s vulnerable southern regions, helping communities adapt to the effects of climate change

5. Integrate environmental education into school curricula to build a generation of environmentally conscious citizens

In his post, Tarique also lauded Bangladesh’s natural beauty and ecological diversity. “It is our solemn duty to preserve this rich environment for future generations.”

Stating that the BNP has been an environmentally conscious party since its very inception,  Tarique wrote that his party have so far championed various initiatives, including widespread tree plantation drives, canal excavation and maintenance projects, and active campaigns to restrict the use of harmful plastics.

Referring to his father and BNP founder, he wrote that former president Ziaur Rahman “launched the Environment Pollution Control Project in 1977, an initiative that later evolved into what is now the Department of Environment.”

“Continuing this legacy, BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia introduced the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act in 1995 and established the country’s first Environmental Courts, pioneering legal mechanisms for ecological protection,” Tarique added.