Although polythene bag production, marketing and usage have been banned, its manufacturing and use are rampant in Chittagong for lack of proper monitoring and strict enforcement of law.

During recent visits to local kitchenmarkets at Reazuddin Bazar, Kazir Dewry, Choumuhuni, EPZ, Bahadderhat, Karnaphuli Gate No. 2, Pahartali and Katghar Bazaar, it was revealed how these polythene bags were being widely used by everyone from sellers to buyers.

Naimul Ahsan Abir, a student of Chittagong University (CU) whom this correspondent met at Katghar Bazaar, said, "At first we used reusable jute bags when the ban was imposed. But due to a lack of monitoring, shop owners started using the polythene bags again and we also stopped bringing bags from home."

"We are not the only one to blame. The shoppers also need to be aware regarding this," said Md Kalu, a vegetable vendor of Steel Mill Bazar.

Department of Environment (DoE) Chittagong Metropolitan Director Azadur Rahman Mollick said there are around 15 to 20 approved polythene factories in the city and to his knowledge there is no illegal factory.

Industry insiders, however, said there are around 50 factories that produce and supply polythene bags. A mechanic of such unit who has been to most of the city factories, and a wholesaler, requesting anonymity, corroborated.

"Polythene bags over 55 microns thick are not illegal. So we cannot stop all the factories. However, some approved factory owners produce bags below the permitted level," said Sangjuckta Dasgupta, assistant director of DoE.

The DoE recently seized polythene from two such factories. The Poly Packaging in Nasirabad was caught red-handed with four tonnes of polythene on July 12. Besides, a mobile court caught MH Packaging in Chaktai for the same offence.

Unapproved Syed Polythene was found producing polythene in remote Pahartali recently. A similar factory owned by one Mohsin Sohag was busted in the same area on January 30 and fined Tk 1 lakh.

It was not the first time for Sohag; he was fined Tk 4, Tk 1 and Tk 1 lakh in 2012, 2015 and 2016 respectively. While talking to The Daily Star in July 2015, he said he had invested overTk 50 lakh and it was not possible for him to stop his business.

From January, more than 50 law enforcement drives were conducted and over 27 tonnes of polythene was seized and Tk 13.56 lakh was realised as fine, said DoE assistant director. Also, four tonnes of polythene were seized andTk 8 lakh was realised in 27 mobile court drives, she said.

However, none was sentenced to jail.

When asked why such widespread use of polythene could not be stopped despite frequent drives, DoE Director Mollick evaded the question and replied, "We are conducting drives frequently. You find out why it could not be stopped.”

A DoE official requesting anonymity said the current way of seizing and fining will not bring any result and strict measures have to be taken against the owners.

According to Bangladesh Environment Preservation Act (Amended 2010), the punishment of production, importing and marketing of polythene is upto two years' imprisonment or Tk 2 lakh fine or both for the first time offence. For the second time.it is two to 10 years' imprionsment or Tk 2 to 10 lakh fine or both.

But no one has been sent to jail as per law although some illegal polythene factory owners were caught more than twice.

Dr SM Shamsul Huda, an associate professor of forestry and environmental sciences of CU, said, "As we do not have an effective waste management system, the used polythene clogs city drainage system and creates layer on soil. It destroys land fertility and takes a long time to decompose."

"Polythene ending up in the Karnaphuli river and the Bay of Bengal may create similar problems, putting biodiversity and ecosystem in peril."

Strict enforcement of law is a must instead of a fine, which has already proven to be ineffective, he emphasised.