Emphasis on ratifying Basel Ban Amendment to stop illegal plastic waste trade

By FE Online Report

The government needs to immediately ratify the ‘Basel Ban Amendment’ to stop illegal plastic waste trade in the country, said experts on Thursday.

They made the call at a report unveiling an event, organised by the Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO).

The speakers stated that about 1.2 million tonnes of plastic wastes were shipped to Bangladesh in three years until 2019 creating serious hazards for the environment and public health.

Experts from Bangladesh and other parts of the world urged the government to adopt the Basel Ban Amendment, to minimise the threat of hazardous plastic wastes.

Former secretary and ESDO chairperson, Syed Marghub Morshed, urged to consider the gravity of the plastic waste trade problem as it is hampering the ecosystem of the Bay of Bengal and ultimately the sustainable development of Bangladesh.

David Azoulay, Managing Attorney of the Center for International Environmental Law’s (CIEL) Geneva Office and the Director of CIEL’s Environmental Health Program, Switzerland; Jim Puckett, Founder and Executive Director, Basel Action Network (BAN), USA; Sirine Rached, Global Policy Advocate (GAIA), Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives – GAIA, USA  joined the session through virtual platform.