Bangladesh has enacted a tough new ordinance imposing jail and fines to curb encroachment, protect haors and wetlands, and safeguard biodiversity, livelihoods and water flow nationwide from environmental degradation threats.
Bangladesh has enacted a stringent new law to safeguard its ecologically critical haors and wetlands, which are large seasonal floodplain ecosystems vital for flood regulation, fisheries, biodiversity and millions of livelihoods, particularly in the country’s northeast.
Environmental experts and activists have long warned that unchecked encroachment, unplanned infrastructure projects and resource extraction are accelerating wetland loss in Bangladesh, increasing vulnerability to floods, biodiversity decline and climate-related disasters.
The Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Conservation Ordinance, 2026, issued through a gazette on Wednesday, introduces up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to Tk1 million, approximately USD 9,000 or both, for offences including illegal encroachment, landfilling, unauthorized excavation and construction that obstructs the natural flow of water.
The ordinance has been framed in line with Article 18A of the Constitution, which obliges the state to protect natural resources and biodiversity for present and future generations. It has come into immediate effect nationwide.
Officials said the ordinance aims to curb longstanding encroachment and environmentally harmful development that have steadily degraded wetlands across the country.
Under the new law, violations such as breaching government-issued protection orders or illegally occupying haor and wetland areas will be treated as cognizable and non-bailable offences, meaning law enforcement agencies can make arrests without a warrant and bail will not be granted as a matter of right.
The ordinance also prohibits unregulated water extraction and the removal of soil, sand or stones from haor and wetland areas. Hunting migratory birds, capturing protected aquatic species, destroying swamp forests and fishing with poison or illegal electric current nets have been declared punishable offences.
The law significantly strengthens the mandate of the Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Development Directorate, established under the Ministry of Water Resources in 2016. From now on, any public or private development project in the haor or wetland regions must obtain prior clearance from the directorate.
The authority will assess whether proposed projects could harm the environment, disrupt ecosystems or undermine the livelihoods of local communities before approval is granted.
The government may designate specific haors or wetlands as protected areas under the ordinance. In such zones, the directorate will have the power to remove, restrict or regulate structures considered harmful to water flow, ecological balance or biodiversity.
