Govt to import 300 CNG-run buses

The government will import 300 CNG-run buses to operate them on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway with a view to reducing air pollution, State Minister for Environment and Forests Dr Hasan Mahmud said at a workshop in the city yesterday.
He said the government has emphasised mass transportation system to reduce traffic congestion as well as pollution in the country.
Dr Hasan was addressing the inaugural session of the workshop on "National consultation meeting on clean fuels and vehicles" jointly organised by the Department of Environment (DoE) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at the auditorium of Local Government and Engineering Division (LGED) in the city.
He said the government has also a plan to develop a railway system to reduce dependency on diesel-run vehicles that contribute to air pollution.
Anumita Roy Chowdhury, associate director, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi, India presented the keynote paper at the workshop.
More than 900 premature deaths could be avoided and $25 million saved in health cost per year after the government imposed a ban on two stroke three-wheelers in Bangladesh, Anumita said,
"If half of the 15 crore people own car like developed countries where most people have personal cars, the country would not be liveable. So, we should bring change in development mode," Dr Hasan said.
Emphasising control of market mechanism, he said a large portion of the businesspersons are involved in fossil fuel business. They will certainly not let upgrading solar panel system or anything that is environment-friendly, he added.
Dr Mihir Kanti Majumder, secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forest, Monwar Islam, director general of Department of Environment, Mohammad Mesbah Uddin, secretary, ministry of power and energy, were present.