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On a weekday I was buying some fruit from market and shopkeeper given me with a paper bag. I was wondering to myself, and I requested for a plastic bag, which what I was accustomed in Bangladesh. The shopkeeper replied to me that she was not able to use the plastic bag because it is not good for the health and environment. It was good lesson in my initiative to be an environmental activist, and after this I educated myself about the environmental consequences of using polythene bags and learned that in other Asian cities such as Bangkok, significant strides were being made in eliminating these bags. Since that time I expanded my work to identify the many substances that people use in their everyday lives which are harmful to the environment and could be reduced or eliminated. But it was very difficult task to convince my editor on the issues. The response of my editor, was that “This is about rubbish… plastic bags are very essential in our daily life… You can not do anything to stop it… Please leave it alone and continue to be work on your assigned job…” But I tried to write again, and continue my work on the issues.
At 1998, there was a devastating flood in Dhaka. At that time I was senior editor of Daily Janata. For 25 days the city was underwater! I traveled to every corner of the city. In a corner of Shamoli, there is a low line area but water was not moving, stagnent. I had the question in mind, “Why is the water not moving?” I talked with WASA and City Corporation, but they could not say the cause, they had no idea. But someone said, there is a blockage in the water drainage system. At Shamoli I physically saw the drainage system totally blocked by plastic bags. My photographer and I cleaned a portion of of the plastic cluster and observed the water slowly moving. After that I wrote report – “Water Lagging Cause is Plastic Bags”. At first, nobody agreed with my opinion. After one month, Dhaka WASA admitted that plastic is main cause of water log in the city. That was the striking point of my issue. Based on these experiences, I started a campaign against plastic bag. It was difficult to move the people through news media of that time, without making a social platform and movement. I talked with some of my friends and colleagues in the early 90s and formed the organization ESDO.
To select the environmental issues we have a working ethos: “We are all part of environment, we have to protect and live with highest harmony for our existence. We have to be owners of the environment, not to be exploiters, like external bodies.”
During the banning of plastic use and making laws to prohibit the plastic bag, some professional assassin was recruited by the plastic businessmen to try and kill me. It was fourth attempt on my life, but I was escaped narrowly. They terrify in my personal life by phoning me at home, but they won’t stop my anti-plastic activities unless they kill me. We don’t always know the end results, but we have to go forward.
Siraj: Dhaka is a rising city: many high rise buildings are being developed everyday. What is your observation on this matter?
Siddika Sultana: I quietly don’t support it without considering the engineering and environmental aspects, but including Dhaka, all the cities of Bangladesh are building up with serious violation of the laws. I cannot understand why city corporations and RAWSUK (Dhaka city construction and housing authority) give permission to such types of dangerous construction. Recent accidents at Shakhariri Banzar have happened, where city dwellers live with high risk under an unhealthy and unsecured house system! A number of collapses already has happened! Including the government, all citizens should be aware of such matters. Regarding this we have to change our motivation, way of thinking. Too much dependency on the government, is not good at all. Governments cannot do anything if the citizen isn’t aware and active in protecting life and the environment. I think civil society can play important role to change the situation.
Siraj: Mr. Shahriar, as an urban ecologist, what are your remarks on Dhaka’s life and environmental health conditions?
Hossain Shahriar: The environmental health of Dhaka city is in serious condition. Pregnant mothers are facing especially serious situations. The houses are totally contaminated by different type of chemical gases. The gases generally generated from their kitchen, daily use cookeries, cosmetics, and furniture. Our research finding is that 90% children and mother affected by pollution in which the main cause is the modern apartment system. If you observe, you cannot see any ventilation in the modern apartment. I don’t know why RAWSUK gives permission to such kinds of apartments without proper ventilation systems. We found that this is not only happening to the poor, but the elites are also suffering such kinds of silent pollution. This is happening because of total lack of knowledge and guidance.
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Shahjahan Siraj
Shahjahan Siraj is a multiemdia designer, film maker and development practitioner (http://www.machizo.com/siraj) in Bangladesh. He is the founder of Machizo Multimedia Communication, however editor and publisher of 'Climate Radio', 'UnnayanTV' and 'UnnayanNews'. (http://www.machizo.com)
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