Speakers at a workshop yesterday called for raising awareness to eliminate Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), a group of toxic substances that are causing adverse effects to human health and the environment.

A project of the Directorate of Environment organised the workshop on 'Draft Bangladesh National Implementation Plan (NIP) for Phase-Out of POPs under Stockholm Convention' at the IDB auditorium in the city.

The project is funded by Global Environment Facility (GEF) in cooperation with UNDP.

According to the draft, Bangladesh will take initiative to control the releases of POPs from pesticides and industrial chemicals into the environment.

The draft recommends upgrading regulatory and legal frameworks for proper management of POPs, developing structure for long-term monitoring programme, ensuring inspection of probable contaminated sites and increasing awareness about the adverse effects.

Bangladesh would implement the NIP by involving different government, semi-government and non-government organisations, since the management of POPs compound needs active participation of public and stakeholders.

The prioritised actions will be

legislation provisions for POPs, establishment of an UNEP standard laboratory, safe storage and destruction of the stockpiles.

NIP Project Director Afrin Akter presented the draft plan at the workshop.

"In our country it is not easy to remove the problematic factors hurriedly, which is possible in the developed countries. Awareness building and concerted campaign are essential to control the POPs," said Environment and Forest Minister Tariqul Islam as the chief guest.

State Minister for Agriculture Fakrul Islam Alamgir said the developed countries, which exported the toxic chemicals, are now pressing the poor and developing countries to take action to protect the environment.

Bangladesh is one of the 150 signatory countries to the Stockholm Convention on POPs.

Presided over by Director General of Department of Environment Khan M Ibrahim Hossain, the inaugural session was also addressed by State Minister for Environment Jafrul Islam Chowdhury, State Minister for Power Iqbal Hasan Mahmood, Health Secretary AFM Sarwar Kamal and Assistant Resident Representative of UNDP Shireen Kamal Sayeed.