Push to maintain balance between environment and industrialisation

Business leaders at a workshop called for maintaining a balance between the environment and industrialisation in order to achieve sustainable development.
They also emphasized the need for government incentives to promote environment-friendly industrialisation.
They also urged global buyers to pay fair prices for clothes produced in environment-friendly factories, highlighting the importance of sustainable practices in the fashion industry.
Arannayk Foundation organised the workshop titled 'Natural Resources Conservation in Bangladesh: Scope of Private Sector Engagement' at a city hotel on Saturday. The workshop is held under the USAID's Green Life Project being implemented by Arannayk.
Speaking as the chief guest, Dr. Muhammad Khan, Director of the Economic Growth Office, USAID Bangladesh, said the USAID has been working towards natural resource conservation in Bangladesh since 1990.
Recalling the contribution of the private sector towards the country's economic development, he noted that the growth and development of the private sector have significantly reduced the country's reliance on foreign assistance.
"Forest degradation is at the centre of water, air and soil pollution and many other environmental crises. If forests can be preserved, most of the problems will be solved," he said.
Md Fazlul Hoque, former president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and the Bangladesh Employers Federation, said that apart from gaining social recognition for such factories, there is no significant positive impact on profitability. "Rather, the cost of production increases, making it difficult for businesses to operate," he claimed.
He urged the government to provide incentives that would encourage entrepreneurs to participate more actively in the conservation of natural resources.
He also emphasized the importance of global buyers paying higher prices for products produced in environment-friendly factories.
Speaking as a special guest, Md Shahidullah Azim, vice president of the BGMEA, said Bangladesh is the most preferred market for international buyers looking for eco-friendly clothes.
"At present, there are 195 LEED-certified green garment factories in the country," he said.
"As a responsible trade body, BGMEA is implementing Four Rs concept - Reuse, Reduce, Recycle, and Recover - and also adopting heat management technologies to create a cleaner and more sustainable world for future generations," he added.
Farah Shahrukh Raja, Head of Branding at BSRM, highlighted that her company has adopted eco-friendly production process that convert waste into products.
She urged other companies to embrace similar practices.
In his welcome speech, Arannayk Foundation Executive Director Rakibul Hasan Mukul said that balancing environmental considerations with business profitability is the key to achieving sustainable development.
Shamim Ahmed, President of the Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said the plastic sector in Bangladesh is now classified in "orange category" and that efforts are being made to transform it into a green industry.
He demanded that the value-added tax (VAT) for recycling be withdrawn.
Syed Nurul Islam, the CEO of the Well Group, said that the private sector is prepared to embrace environment-friendly industrialisation.
However, he emphasized the need for the government to play a leading role in this effort.
Echoing similar view, Syed Moazzem Hossain, Director of FBCCI, stressed that government policy support is critical to encouraging greater private sector engagement in conserving natural resources.
Director of the FBCCI and WEND President Dr Nadia Binte Amin, FBCCI Director MGR Nasir Majumder, President of Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh Shiblul Azam Koreshi, and Shamima Akhter, Director of Unilever's corporate affairs and communication department, also spoke.

jasimharoon@yahoo.com