STAFF CORRESPONDENT

The government should immediately ban single-use plastic due to its severe threats to people’s well-being and the environment, said speakers at a programme yesterday.

Environmentalists, educators, researchers, and rights activists convened in a virtual webinar, titled “Curbing Plastic Pollution: Lessons Learned and Way Forward”, organised by Change Initiative.

Speakers informed that Bangladesh ranks among the top 20 countries worldwide contributing to the alarming levels of plastic pollution. Around 45.55 billion polythene bags are used in the country each year. This amounts to an alarming 273 million kilos of single-use plastic consumed annually.

During the event, Saba Sabnam, a research intern from Change Initiative, delivered a presentation.

She highlighted the risks associated with plastic waste in water bodies, such as creating breeding grounds for disease-spreading mosquitoes. She also mentioned the ingestion of microplastics by marine life and the presence of toxic chemicals in contaminated seafood.

Maruf Hossain, town manager at UNDP, emphasised the need to reduce the reliance on plastic products and enforce rules where polythene is extensively used.