The government has decided to ban the establishment of new industrial units and projects within a 10-kilometre radius of the Ecologically Critical Area (ECA) surrounding the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest.
Officials from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change confirmed that a gazette notification will soon be issued to formalize the decision.
The move was approved during a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Environment and Climate Change Committee, held at the Secretariat and chaired by Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan.
As part of the new measures, a neutral panel of experts will conduct environmental impact assessments of existing industrial facilities within the ECA buffer zone. Further action regarding those units will be determined in line with expert findings and relevant court directives.
The meeting also cleared amendments to the Climate Change Trust Rules, which will now allow joint project proposals from government entities, private organisations, and NGOs to address climate-related challenges more collaboratively.
To combat noise pollution, the committee decided to consult all ministries to develop a comprehensive action plan. Additionally, proposals were discussed to increase the Environment Ministry’s enforcement budget and to introduce or enhance risk allowances for Forest Department personnel.
In a push for sustainable construction, the government has also set a target for at least 30 percent of bricks used in both public and private sector construction to be replaced with concrete blocks by 2025.
A follow-up coordination meeting at the secretary level is scheduled for May to review the progress on these initiatives.
