Green activists demand a more focused law

The proposed law on clean air must be more focused and specific to achieve its goal of tackling rampant air pollution in the country, said leading environmentalists and officials at a discussion in the capital yesterday.

Such a national law must reflect the government’s commitment to relevant international treaties, said Hafizul Islam Khan, executive director of Centre for Climate Justice Bangladesh.

“The primary draft of the law made government organisations liable for air pollution, but the proposal was excluded in the later draft,” he said.

Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela) organised the discussion on the proposed Clean Air Act 2019 at the Parliament Members’ Club in Jatiya Sangsad complex.

Bela Chief Executive Syeda Rizwana Hasan, in a detailed presentation, said that for the sake of proper interpretation and application, the proposed law must reflect the policies of precaution and sustainable development.

Some of the vital provisions excluded in the later draft are management of controlled emitters, advisory council and its mandate, role of Department of Environment (DoE), national air quality report and implementation report on national air quality management, offences committed by government authority, public participation and data management, she said.

The latest draft also excluded definitions of some critical concepts like poisonous elements in air, approved fuel, risky effluents, bad odour and pollution control machine, she said.

Saber Hossain Chowdhury, chairman of standing committee on the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said people have to be familiarised with the proposed clean air law.

Its language has to be unambiguous, he added.

Ziaul Huq, director of DoE, underscored the need for an air quality control authority and empowerment of the department.

The clean air law has to have adequate provisions for easily exactable financial penalty on the polluters, opined Zakir Hossain Khan, senior programme manager of TIB.

Dr AKM Rafique Ahammed, director general of Department of Environment, said they have a plan to draw detailed provisions in the rules after the law is enacted.     

Lawmakers Md Zafar Alam from Mymensingh, and Md Rezaul Karim Bablu from Bogura, among others, also spoke at the event.