The order follows an ESDO study that detected microplastic particles in 26 of 34 toothpaste samples collected from local and imported brands in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh’s High Court ordered the formation of a three-member expert committee to investigate whether 26 toothpaste products sold in the country contain harmful microplastics following findings published in a recent study.
A bench comprising Justice Khizir Ahmed Chowdhury and Justice Md Ziaul Haque issued the order today and directed the committee to submit its investigation report within 15 days.
The court instructed the health secretary and the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution, the national standards and product-testing authority known as BSTI, to form the committee.
It will include one expert each from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, the Science Laboratory of the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and BSTI.
The court also issued a rule asking why effective measures should not be taken to prevent harmful microplastics from being present in toothpaste.
The health secretary, environment secretary, commerce secretary, BSTI and other respondents were directed to provide explanations within four weeks.
The order followed a study published on Sunday (26 July) by the Environment and Social Development Organization, which found that nearly three out of every four toothpaste products tested in Bangladesh contained microplastics.
Microplastics are plastic particles measuring less than five millimetres. They originate from broken-down plastic waste, synthetic clothing and manufactured plastic beads and can contaminate air, water and soil before entering the bodies of animals and humans.
The year-long study detected microplastic particles in 26 of 34 toothpaste samples, equivalent to 76.5 percent, collected from 19 local and imported brands available in Bangladesh.
Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Md Abdullah Al Mamun argued the case in support of the writ petition.
He filed the writ yesterday (27 July), seeking an independent investigation into the detection of harmful microplastics in 26 of the 34 toothpaste products tested.
