Prime Minister Khaleda Zia yesterday said the movement for protection of the environment should no longer be confined to some formal activities like meetings, seminars or distribution of leaflets.

Khaleda called for an end to inertia and for voluntary services to preserve the environment without the help of the government and foreign funds.

"Let's not be casual. We should be more serious about it because a big environmental disaster is close to us," she told a function, referring to an expert view that 15 per cent of the country's landmass may go

under the sea.

Addressing the function at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in observance of the World Environment Day 2002, the prime minister said protective measures should be taken from now on to avert possible dangers.

"Give the earth a chance" is the theme of this year's World Environment Day. Finance and Planning Minister Saifur Rahman, LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Abdul Mannan MP and UNDP Resident Representative Jorgen Lissner, among others, addressed the function presided over by Environment Minister Shajahan Siraj.

Ministers, MPs, diplomats, representatives of nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) and environmentalists attended the function organised by the Ministry of Environment and Forest.

The environment ministry or the government alone cannot bear the entire responsibility to protect the environment, the prime minister said. The people should share both

national and international efforts for protection of the environment.

"Everyone -- individuals, parties, clubs, organisations, associations, the society and NGOs -- should come forward and work for it," she said.

Khaleda underscored the people's awareness and inspiration to contribute to preserving the environment.

The prime minister said the country must advance towards progress. At the same time, people should make sure that the environment is not damaged in the process of development. The government has adopted such a policy, she added.

Later, the prime minister opened an environment fair.

UNDP Resident Representative Jorgen Lissner suggested that 'green tax' providing for fines for environment polluters and incentives to protectors be introduced.

Welcoming the suggestion, the finance minister said the government would actively consider it to encourage healthy environmental practices and discourage unhealthy ones.