Bangladesh’s environment minister Sheikh Faridul Islam says pollution is largely caused by human selfishness, urging students and citizens to promote awareness, protect nature, and take greater responsibility for environmental conservation.
Bangladesh’s State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Sheikh Faridul Islam, said on Monday that the country’s worsening environmental degradation and pollution were largely the result of human selfishness, urging greater public awareness and responsibility to protect nature.
Speaking as chief guest at the Environment Debate Competition 2026 organized by the Narayanganj Sadar Upazila administration at the Narayanganj District Shilpakala Academy, the minister said Narayanganj was once known as the “Dundee of the East” but now faces significant environmental challenges.
“We are responsible for protecting the environment in which we live,” he said. “The current pollution is largely our own doing.”
Addressing students, Sheikh Faridul Islam called on them to raise awareness among their parents and people around them about environmental pollution, saying greater public consciousness would make environmental protection easier.
He stressed that protecting both people and nature should be a shared responsibility.
“Our children will lead the country in the future,” he said. “Not everyone has to become a doctor or an engineer, but everyone must become a good human being.”
The minister said that through participation in various international seminars he had observed that public awareness remains the most important factor in environmental protection. Referring to countries such as Japan and Singapore, he said their development had been driven by consistent discipline and awareness among citizens.
He added that Bangladesh has also begun cultivating similar practices.
Highlighting the importance of early education, Sheikh Faridul Islam said positive habits are easier to establish when children are young and more likely to become permanent. He cited an example of a foreign company that achieved major marketing success by directing its advertising campaigns toward children.
The minister also said he had launched initiatives to keep schools clean in his constituency and that the programme remains ongoing.
Emphasizing civic responsibility, he said the country belongs to everyone and all citizens must contribute to nation-building. While politics is a continuous process, he said fulfilling civic duties properly is equally important.
Sheikh Faridul Islam also described mobile phone addiction as a major social concern and urged students to stay away from excessive mobile use and drugs. He encouraged them to become more actively involved in debate, cultural activities and sports.
