Rwanda model of banning polyethene

There are a few countries in the world, which have been successful in limiting the use of plastic bags significantly. Rwanda, a pioneer in banning single-use plastic bags, is now one of the cleanest nations on earth. This has been possible for this African country because of its people's cooperation and the authorities' firm stand. When someone goes to the Rwandan border, they find custom officers checking all the baggage entering the country whether there are polythene bags or not.
They do not allow any polybag entering the country. It means it starts from the airport or the borders with a clear message that you cannot use it inside the country.
The people of Rwanda believe that polythene releases harmful chemicals into the soil, which can affect water sources and ecosystem. They believe, these chemicals may also lead to cancer, birth defects and other serious health issues. It is to be noted that, there are different laws to protect environment and the authorities are not sitting idle.
Those who violate the law relating to the use of poly bags in Rwanda are liable to imprisonment terms not less than six months and /or fines not less than RWF 5,000, equivalent to an amount of Tk 500. The offenders, who repeat their crime, receive double the punishment.
It is for sure that, we have the laws, agencies, and everything in Bangladesh to protect our environment from plastic pollution but what we lack is commitment and enforcement.

Jamilur Rahman Chowdhury,
Kigali, Rwanda,
[email protected]