Bangladesh has no shortage of environmental laws. Yet, despite an extensive legal framework, environmental degradation continues unabated due to a deeply entrenched culture of impunity.
Article 18A of the Constitution obliges the State to protect and improve the environment and preserve wetlands, forests, and biodiversity for the present and the future generations. The Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, 1995, and the Environment Court Act, 2010, along with numerous other regulations, provide the legal foundation for environmental protection.
However, environmental regulations often appear strict on paper while remaining weak in practice, particularly when influential interests are involved. As a result, the Sundarbans continue to face industrial pollution, while forest areas in Gazipur, Tangail, and the Chittagong Hill Tracts are steadily encroached upon by commercial projects. Even High Court directives are frequently disregarded when century-old trees are felled in the name of urban development. Although the law requires the planting of at least two saplings for every tree cut down, compliance remains largely absent.
Against this backdrop, activating Environment Courts with full autonomy, insulating the Department of Environment from political and bureaucratic interference, and ensuring exemplary punishment for powerful polluters are no longer optional. They are essential if environmental laws are to serve as more than mere words on paper.
Simla Paul
Student
Department of Law,
Gopalganj Science and Technology University