Anti-polybag drive begins

The National Taskforce on polythene bags launched fresh drives across the country yesterday to check environmental pollution.
On the first day of the drives initiated by the Department of Environment (DoE), a mobile court seized 25 sacks of polybags and fined 25 shopkeepers Tk 14,000 at Hazrat Shah Ali market in the capital's Mirpur.
The court filed 25 cases against the shop owners on charge of violating the Environment Conservation Act 1995.
Mostafizur Rahman, state minister for environment and forests, took part in the drive and urged the shopkeepers not to use polybags for selling goods.
"I know that polybags might be found in most of the shops here. Use paper or gunny bags instead of polybags to save the environment," he said.
He said jute bags will be made available in the market.
Mojibur Rahman, director general of the DoE, told The Daily Star that they conducted campaigns at various places to make everyone aware of the laws concerned and the penalties for violating those.
He said since the use of polyethylene bags in the markets is on the rise, the drives will continue to put an end to their production and use.
A polybag user might be fined up to Tk 5,000 or jailed for six months or both.
A producer of polybags might be fined up to Tk 10,00,000 or sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment or both if found guilty of flouting the law twice or more.
Members of police, Rab and Bangladesh Rifles took part in the drive.
Meanwhile, a mobile court seized 800kgs of poly bags from 13 shops and fined the shopkeepers Tk 56,500 for keeping those at Riazuddin Bazar in the port city.
Mobile courts filed a total of 13 cases in Chittagong division.
In Sylhet division, mobile courts seized 210 kgs of poly bags and fined the shopkeepers Tk 31,000. They also filed 11 cases against the shop owners.
Mobile courts in Rajshahi division fined shopkeepers Tk 81,600 and lodged 38 cases against the shop owners.
Similar drives were conducted in Khulna and Barisal divisions but the Department of Environment could not give any details.