The government has announced an incentive-based initiative to combat air pollution by encouraging citizens to submit photographs of waste burning in open areas.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Ministry of Environment said air pollution has emerged as a serious threat to public health in Bangladesh.
Emissions from vehicles, brick kilns, industrial facilities and the open burning of waste are steadily worsening air quality across the country.
As a result, health risks - including respiratory illnesses - are increasing, posing particular danger to children, the elderly and people with pre-existing health conditions.
To address the challenge, the government has taken a series of measures to identify and control key sources of air pollution, the ministry said.
As part of these efforts, it has decided to take firm action against waste burning, which remains one of the major contributors to deteriorating air quality.
In this context, a new initiative has been launched to gather accurate information on locations where waste burning occurs.
The government believes active public participation is essential for the effective implementation of the programme.
Under the initiative, citizens are requested to submit photographs of waste burning incidents they observe.
Such photographs can be sent to [climatechange2@moef.gov.bd] (mailto:climatechange2@moef.gov.bd), along with the name of the photographer or sender, mobile phone number, exact location and address, and the time of the incident. Each month, the best ten photographs will be selected from verified submissions, and appropriate rewards will be given to the contributors. The ministry expressed hope that strong public engagement would play a significant role in reducing air pollution across the country.
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