Control the use of plastic

Walking down any street in Dhaka, you'll see heaps of used plastic lying along the roadside. Drains and manholes are covered in plastic. The canals are filled with it. Rivers surrounding Dhaka — Buriganga, Turag, Shitalakshya, Balu, Dhaleshwari — all have piles of plastic waste accumulating. This scene is replicated across the country. Even agricultural lands in remote areas are blanketed in plastic. People once used to grow vegetables around their homes; in many villages, this is no longer possible as the soil is now covered with plastic.

It’s as if, one day, every inch of land in Bangladesh will be buried under plastic. With plastic bags already widely used, plastic-packaged food and other goods — bottles, medicine packets, even plastic furniture — are becoming more and more common. Plastic is easily available, but its harm is unimaginable. Its biggest danger? It doesn’t decompose into the soil.

At least large plastic items are visible, so people are somewhat aware of their environmental and health risks. But microplastics — tiny plastic particles — silently poison the natural world and often go unnoticed. Various studies have confirmed the presence of microplastics in salt, flour, sugar, fish, soil, air, rivers, oceans, and even drinking water. These particles are entering the human body from food, water, and the environment, triggering numerous diseases and posing serious threats to human health.

Yesterday (April 22) was Earth Day. It's painfully obvious that we are destroying our planet and our country in countless ways. Bangladesh is one of the most at-risk countries when it comes to natural disasters caused by climate change — frequent cyclones, abnormal heat, irregular rainfall, and rising sea levels all threaten our future.

Due to high population density, Bangladesh is already at risk. On top of that, plastic has emerged as one of the worst environmental curses. Plastic is born, but it never dies — making it a threat to all forms of life. Researchers say microplastics are smaller than 5 millimeters. Over time, continuous exposure to these toxic particles can lead to deadly illnesses.

According to 16 studies reported in the media, 3 billion microplastic particles enter the Bay of Bengal daily. In Dhaka, every gram of dust contains 106 particles; in divisional cities, 52 particles per gram. Harmful plastic particles have been found in 15 types of fish sold in Dhaka markets, with each kilogram of salt containing 2,050 particles, and each kilogram of sugar containing 343. Microplastics have also been found in groundwater.

This means that through fish, water, sugar, and salt — whatever we consume — plastic particles are entering our bodies. Researchers have also found harmful substances like pesticides, heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates, and flame retardants often attached to microplastics. Once inside the body, these chemicals can damage tissues, disrupt hormones, harm reproductive health, increase cancer risk, and weaken the immune system.

The harmful effects of plastic are countless. Its only advantage is that it’s cheap and widely available. But is that worth destroying our lives? Do we really want to doom future generations? Harm all life and nature?

Bangladesh was the first country in the world to ban polythene bags in 2002 as a step toward combating dangerous microplastics. Restrictions have also been placed on single-use plastics in coastal areas.

Despite recent nationwide drives against polythene and plastic, usage hasn’t stopped. Though the government has taken several initiatives, public awareness remains low. Officials say people must truly understand just how harmful polythene and microplastics are. A change in mindset is essential. Only by working together can we overcome the plastic crisis.