The 12th Jatiya Sangsad(JS) election is buzzing all over the country. Candidates-supporters are spending time in the sleepless campaigns. Banner-posters, festoons are pasted along with public relations-micing to attract the attention of voters. In these campaigns laminating and polythene wrapped posters are seen in different parts of the city which is a threat to the environment. The High Court has banned the use of polythene-wrapped posters in election campaigns. However, the candidates do not accept it.
Various areas of the capital and surrounding areas have been seen, the candidates are campaigning by placing posters wrapped in polythene in the streets of the area. Saeed Khokon in Dhaka-6 seat, Dr. Enamur Rahman in Dhaka-19 seat. Enamur Rahman and Talukder Md. Tauhid Jung Dhaka-19, Benazir Ahmed in Dhaka-20 seat, Mohammad Solaiman Salim in Dhaka-7 seat put up posters and banners wrapped in polythene.
It is known that the High Court ordered to stop the production and use of posters wrapped in polythene in order to protect the environment in the city elections on January 22, 2020. The court also issued a ruling asking why the production and use of polythene-wrapped posters should not be banned across the country. The Secretary of the Ministry of Forest and Environment, the Secretary of the Election Commission, the Secretary of Health and the Chief Executive Officer of the two City Corporations were made defendants in that ruling.
Environmentalists said that plastic cannot be recycled. It is also harmful to the environment. If the plastic falls into the drain, it will block the flow of water. This will create water logging. Airborne and waterborne diseases also spread from plastic.
According to Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO) sources, before the City Corporation elections in 2020, they conducted a study titled 'Thermal Lamination Films: An Increasing Health and Environment Havoc of Dhaka City' based on the use of laminated posters, leaflets, stickers in Bangladesh. It can be seen that every year in Dhaka city, from various sources, about 10 thousand tons of laminated plastic waste is generated, which is a threat to human health and environment. 2 thousand 472 tons of laminated plastic waste has been generated within 12 days of the campaign for the 2 city elections of Dhaka in 2020. ESDO filed a writ before the city elections in 2020. In view of this, the court banned the use of plastic in election campaigns.
Professor of Stamford University Qamruzzaman Majumdar told Barta24.com that plastic universally damages nature and environment, water, air, soil; all three main components of the environment are heavily polluted by plastic. Millions of metric tons of plastic are used around elections every year. Plastic is used in laminating, billboard and festoons. There is no way to’re-use' these plastics. These plastics will cause extreme damage to the environment.
He said, the public representatives claim themselves as patriots, social conscious and environmental conservationists. Their party manifesto also talks about protecting the environment. But their activities are damaging the environment. The Election Commission should also ban the use of plastic and laminating posters to protect the environment like the use of colored posters.
Election Commission (EC) Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath told Barta24.Com that the election code of conduct does not directly say anything about the use of plastic. But it is a punishable offense under the Environmental Pollution Control Act. We have ordered the removal of the places where we have received reports of plastic use. And those who will be public representatives, they must also be environmentally conscious.
He also said that the issue of environment was not raised in the code of conduct meeting before this election. We will raise the issue of plastic use and environment in the next meeting. The use of plastic is definitely harmful to the environment; this should be kept in mind by all of us.