Staff Reporter, Dhaka : Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Water Resources, announced today that the journey to phase out single-use plastics (SUP) from government offices has officially begun with the Bangladesh Secretariat. She expressed optimism that, with regular monitoring, the Secretariat would be
completely free of single-use plastics by 1 January 2026.
Briefing journalists at the Secretariat, the Adviser said that the use of plastic water bottles and other single-use items will be discontinued by December. She noted that while single-use plastics are not yet banned by law in Bangladesh, the government is actively
discouraging their use. Several embassies and universities have already declared their campuses free of single-use plastics, she added.
Earlier in the morning, Dr. Farhina Ahmed, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, monitored enforcement at the Secretariat’s Gate No. 2 and Gate No.
5. Officials carrying plastic bags and files were asked to surrender them and were provided with cloth alternatives. She also inspected awareness posters, boards, and standees placed across the
Secretariat and visited the cafeterias of the Tourism Corporation and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Additionally, police officers at all Secretariat entrances are conducting round-the-clock checks to prevent the entry of single-use plastic items.