Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan on Monday underscored the need for developing the habit of using cloth and jute bags as alternatives to polythene to reduce plastic use in daily life.

“Plastic use must be reduced at every level of life, and single-use polythene bags must be completely eliminated,” she said while exchanging views with students and representatives of environmental organisations at the circuit house in Rajshahi.

Highlighting the environmental damage caused by plastic and polythene, she said the government has already taken various initiatives to encourage people to shift towards sustainable alternatives, said an official release.

She said public engagement is key to achieving success in this regard.

Expressing concern over the ongoing trend of filling ponds, canals, and other water bodies amid urban expansion she stressed the importance of preserving natural reservoirs for water conservation and maintaining the groundwater level.

Calling on the youth to embrace an eco-conscious lifestyle, the Environment Adviser said, “Every small step we take can lead to big changes.”

Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner Afia Akhtar, BAPA General Secretary Alamgir Kabir, and representatives from various environmental organisations, along with students, journalists and government officials, attended the event.

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The participants stressed the need for enhanced awareness-building activities at the local level to promote environmental protection.

Rizwana also instructed the Deputy Commissioner to take necessary steps to restore ponds and water bodies in the district and assured the government support in the process.