Environmental pollution in Bangladesh has continued to escalate, leaving city dwellers—particularly residents of Dhaka—struggling with its adverse health impacts. While public entities are among the significant contributors to this problem, accountability remains elusive, as monitoring agencies fail to act against government institutions responsible for environmental degradation. On December 10, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change issued a rare advisory warning about the dangerously high levels of air pollution in Dhaka and other cities, urging people to wear masks outdoors. However, experts and activists argue that this warning does little to address the root causes of the crisis. Beyond air pollution, water pollution and dengue outbreaks have also emerged as pressing public health challenges. Critics argue that public agencies play a significant role in these problems but often evade the scrutiny and penalties imposed on private entities.
Public Entities’ Role in Air Pollution
Air pollution in Dhaka has many sources, including dust from dilapidated roads, unregulated waste burning, and unfit government vehicles. Roads maintained by the Dhaka North and South City Corporations remain in poor condition for years, with cracks and potholes contributing to airborne dust. Residents like Md Yasin Rana of Dakkhin Khan have shared their suffering, describing how dust from broken roads causes respiratory issues, eye irritation, and skin problems.
Similarly, business owners like Anower Hossain, a clothing trader near Shait-foot Road in Mirpur, report that dust damages their goods and creates unhealthy working conditions.
Adding to the problem, garbage burning by public institutions and in city-managed dumping grounds, such as those at Amin Bazar and Matuail, releases choking smoke into the air. Leaves and twigs collected on the premises of various government offices, including hospitals, government educational institutions, and agencies like Bangladesh Betar and Dhaka WASA, are frequently burned, further worsening air quality.
Unfit government vehicles, including those operated by Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation, and other public agencies, also contribute significantly to air pollution. Despite these obvious sources, government entities rarely face penalties for their environmental violations.
Dengue Breeding Grounds Linked to Government Premises
The unchecked environmental practices of public agencies are not limited to air pollution. Water accumulation in potholes on neglected roads and in dug-up areas during construction by public entities provides ideal breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitoes, which carry dengue.
Even government offices themselves are often found hosting mosquito breeding spots. Institutions such as the national parliament, Bangladesh Water Development Board, Civil Aviation Authority, and even the Secretariat have been identified as contributing to the dengue problem. Although Dhaka city corporations have conducted mobile courts and fined private businesses for similar issues, they have largely failed to hold public offices to the same standard.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services, at least 548 people died of dengue and over 98,877 were hospitalized with the fever in 2024. Despite spending over Tk 200 crore on dengue control in the past three years, the two Dhaka city corporations have not ensured proper cleanliness in public agency premises.
Dhaka South City Corporation officials have repeatedly called on government agencies to maintain their compounds and prevent mosquito breeding, but these requests are often ignored.
Water Pollution and Public Accountability
Pollution of rivers surrounding Dhaka, such as the Buriganga and Turag, has been another critical issue, with public entities identified as major contributors. Studies have revealed that government agencies, including Dhaka WASA and the city corporations, are responsible for approximately 30% of the total pollution in these rivers. However, these agencies have rarely faced any accountability.
Green activist Sharif Jamil, coordinator of Waterkeepers Bangladesh, highlighted the failure of public agencies to comply with environmental laws despite their higher responsibility. He noted that while private businesses are regularly penalized for pollution, government institutions often escape consequences.
“Indemnity to public agencies has emboldened them to violate environmental rules, exacerbating health hazards,” Jamil remarked. He argued that holding public entities accountable would lead to significant reductions in pollution, particularly in Dhaka and other cities.
Experts Demand Action
Experts believe that addressing environmental pollution in Bangladesh requires greater accountability for public agencies. While monitoring bodies like the Department of Environment (DoE) have imposed penalties on private establishments in the past five years, they admit to rarely taking action against public entities. DoE director Md Ziaul Haque acknowledged that the department has never fined city corporations for pollution caused by dilapidated roads, waste mismanagement, or other environmental violations.
Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder, a professor at Stamford University’s Department of Environmental Science, stressed that biomass burning is a major yet preventable cause of air pollution in Dhaka. He called on monitoring agencies to take immediate steps to curb this practice and enforce regulations on public institutions.
A Path Forward
Environmental pollution in Bangladesh is not only a pressing public health crisis but also a governance challenge. From air pollution caused by dust and vehicle emissions to the unchecked spread of dengue due to stagnant water, the inaction of public agencies has compounded the problem.
Activists, experts, and citizens are calling for stricter regulations and enforcement measures targeting public institutions. They argue that equitable application of the law, regardless of whether the offender is a private business or a government agency, is essential for meaningful progress.
By addressing environmental hazards caused by public entities, Bangladesh could significantly improve the quality of life in its urban centers, particularly Dhaka, where the health impacts of pollution are most severe.
The question remains: Will the government take responsibility and lead the charge toward a cleaner, healthier future?
