Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan recently stressed stronger enforcement, institutional capacity, transparency, and accountability in environmental regulation, along with an end to faulty clearances. Speaking as the chief guest at a seminar, Rizwana, also Adviser of the Ministry of Water Resources, urged officials of the Department of Environment (DoE) to act creatively and fearlessly. ‘Enforcement is not just about fines.
it must include transparency, alternatives, and community empowerment,’ she said.
the World Bank organized the seminar titled ‘Strengthening Environmental Regulatory and Enforcement Capacity for a Sustainable Bangladesh’ in Sreepur upazila of the district, said a ministry press release. On enforcement priorities, the Adviser called for targeting hotspots such as dyeing industries, cement factories, and brick kilns. ‘We must focus on the worst polluters with proper budgeting and planning. Publish the names of polluters online. With information accessible, citizens will support enforcement against political pressure,’ she stressed.