Bangladesh’s environment minister Sheikh Faridul Islam pledged strict action against polluting industries, warning that factories violating environmental laws or discharging untreated waste will face closure and legal penalties.
Bangladesh’s State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Sheikh Faridul Islam has warned that industrial facilities violating environmental clearance conditions or discharging untreated waste will no longer be allowed to continue operations through informal negotiations or settlements, as pollution continues to devastate farmland in northern Bangladesh.
The warning came on Wednesday during an inspection visit to Bhuradoba Union in Valuka Upazila of Mymensingh District, where industrial pollution has severely damaged ecosystems and agricultural land.
“We will not allow any industry to continue operations through negotiation if they violate environmental laws or pollute our environment,” the minister said during the visit, adding that enforcement would be strengthened across industrial zones.
Officials said around 350 acres of farmland have been affected by toxic industrial discharge, leaving large tracts uncultivated and impacting the livelihoods of nearly 1,000 farming families.
“The era of unchecked industrial pollution is over,” the minister said, stressing that environmental compliance would now be strictly enforced. “Factories must install and properly operate Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs), otherwise they will face strict legal action.”
He further added, “Untreated chemical waste must not be allowed to enter rivers, canals, wetlands or agricultural land under any circumstances. There will be zero tolerance.”
During the inspection, authorities sealed an illegal wastewater discharge outlet of a factory identified as Experience for violating environmental regulations. Officials warned that any attempt to reopen the sealed outlet could lead to the permanent closure of the facility.
“No industrial unit will be allowed to operate outside environmental clearance conditions,” the minister said, directing stricter monitoring mechanisms in industrial areas and instructing authorities to form dedicated inspection teams.
He also noted that environmental regulators would be held accountable for enforcement failures. “If officials fail to perform their duties, action will be taken against them and replacements will be made to ensure accountability,” he said.
Later, speaking at a stakeholder consultation meeting at the Valuka Upazila Complex, the minister said pollution from several factories, including Experience, Harry Fashion and Multazim, had caused severe environmental degradation, rendering significant areas of farmland unusable.
“We are tightening surveillance and enforcement. Any outlet discharging untreated waste will be sealed immediately,” he said, adding that stronger regulatory action was underway against non-compliant industries.
Local lawmakers, government officials, environmental activists and representatives of affected farmers attended the meeting, where authorities also discussed inter-ministerial coordination to support affected communities and explore rehabilitation measures for damaged farmland.
