Huge polybags seized

Department of Environment (DoE) confiscated 400 kilograms of illegal polythene shopping bags during a mobile court raid at Banani kitchen market in the capital city yesterday.
The mobile court, led by DoE Director Jamshed Ahmed and Executive Magistrate Babul Mia, realised Tk 48,500 from 25 stores in the market for selling or storing banned polybags.
The court also lodged cases against the stores.
On January 1, 2002, the government imposed a ban on production, marketing and use of polybags in Dhaka city (bellow 100 micron), followed by a nationwide ban on April 8 of the same year because as a non-biodegradable environmental hazard, polythene wreak havoc on public sanitation.
Despite the government ban, production, marketing and use of hazardous polythene shopping bags continue across the country at an alarming rate.
Maximum penalty under the Environment Conservation Act 1995 for manufacturing and marketing polythene shopping bag is 10 years' rigorous imprisonment, or a maximum fine of Tk 10 lakh, or both.
Paribesh Adalat (environment court) is the only jurisdiction to sentence this punishment.
The fine for using polythene shopping bags for purposes other than export trade is Tk 500.