Local battery manufacturers have expressed concerns as the Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) has initiated a move to use imported lithium-ion batteries for its Info-Sarker phase-3 project for expanding the digital network of the government to union level, reports UNB.
They claimed that it might harm the environment since there is no proper recycling system for lithium-ion batteries in the country.
According to them, the use of the lithium-ion batteries would create a great risk for the environment while the locally-produced "deep cycle tubular lead acid battery" could serve the same purpose without any risk as it has proper recycling management locally.
About the issue, General Secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) Sharif Jamil said his organisation had been very concerned about the growing waste of electronic and digital products since there is no comprehensive or inclusive management to check their environmental risk and pollution.
"It would be totally unwise to allow the use of any product -- either it is battery or electronic goods -- in any project without ensuring their proper recycling management," he said, adding that BAPA has long been asking for enactment of a law to check digital pollution as the use of battery is growing fast in different products like mobile, auto-rickshaw and other things.
Earlier, the BCC implemented Info-Sarker Phase-1 to expand digital network from capital Dhaka to district level and the Phase-2 project to expand the network to the upazila level, officials said, adding the current Info-Sarker Phase-3 project is being implemented to take the facilities to union level.
Project director and joint secretary to the ICT Division Dr Bikarna Kumar Ghosh said the phase-3 project was nearing completion as the backbone network has been installed already, connecting 2,500 unions and 1,000 police stations across the country.
Only 100 unions are there for the job and it will be completed soon, he said.
Under the phase-3 project, official sources said, the BCC moved to procure huge lithium-ion batteries to ensure uninterrupted operation of the services.
But the local battery manufacturers who want to play a role in the digitisation project with their involvement said the import of lithium-ion batteries would be only the "waste of foreign currency in addition to affecting the environment as the same purpose could be served by locally-produced "deep cycle tubular lead acid battery" without any risk.
"Our batteries won't create any risk for the environment as we've a proper recycling system with strict government guidelines," said Munawar Misbah Moin, President of Accumulator Battery Manufacturers and Exporters Association of Bangladesh (ABMEAB), a national business body representing the local battery industries.
Misbah claimed that if a local battery is used, it would cost Tk 150 million while the imported battery would cost Tk 450 million.
He said the ABMEAB has already appealed to the BCC to reconsider the move, expressing concerns of the local battery manufacturers about the move.
