Bioplastic Sonali Bag production needs immediate funding

It is not only the law enforcement agencies who are to blame for the growing market of polythene or plastic bags in the country. The environment ministry has also failed to keep its political commitment in this regard. When polythenes were was banned in 2002, baby taxies (petrol-run auto rickshaws) were also banned in Dhaka. We saw them disappear. Baby taxi never came back to the capital as citizens got the alternative CNG-operated auto rickshaws in the city.

The ban on baby taxis maynot have been effective if it had been enforced without introducing an alternative. Despite knowing the harm to the environment, people would travel by baby taxis at the time. People, who are educated and well aware of the risk of plastic bag use, are often seen buying goods in those bags. Such behaviour of the consumers cannot be restricted by the law only. At least, our past experience for 17 years shows that. That definitely does not justify the law enforcement’s failure to prevent the use of plastic bags and failure to take action against the companies involved in polythene production at the the capital’s Kamrangirchal area under their noses.

There is no reason to believe that the law enforcement agencies are unaware of the operations of more than 50 polythene bag factories in Kamrangirchar and nearly 100 wholesale sellers operating in Chawk Bazar. In addition, the mobile courts are also authorised to take action against sellers and traders of plastic bags. But that never worked.

Although there was no suitable option, the use of polythene bags was reduced in 2006-07 due to police action. It is said that, necessity is the mother of invention. If the ban implemented properly and had been effective, a convenient solution would have come out and consumers would have been accustomed to using the new alternative products by now. The Environment Protection Act of 1995 provides imprisonment of three to five years and a fine of minimum Tk 50,000 up to Tk 1 million for production, marketing and use of polythene bags. The directives are only on paper, though.

But the policy makers concerned are aware that a Bangladeshi scientist has invented ‘Sonali Bag’ (bioplastic bags made of jute) long ago that could help to enforce the polythene ban and meet consumer demands simultaneously. The scientist has been seeking funds from various government departments in this regard. It has already been proved he would be successful. High-level policymakers, including the environment minister, have acknowledged that. The commercial potential of the jute bags made by Mubarak Ahmed Khan is high. And not only in terms of meeting the needs of Bangladesh, this bag will have demand in many other countries of the world. This is not unknown to policy makers that several developed countries, including Japan, have shown interest in importing Bangladeshi Sonali bags.

Mubarak Ahmed Khan, a former scientific officer of Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation, has been hoping for investment in the project for a long time. We do not understand why an amount of only Tk 2 billion became such a big issue in the country that always speaks of development. Mubarak Ahmed has credibly claimed it can meet one-fourth of world’s demand of plastic bags if all jute produced in Bangladesh can be made into polymer bags.

We strongly recommend all possible steps be taken to make the golden bag project a big success.