National Seminar on Integrated Approach for Effective Solid Waste Management Held to Mark World Environment Day 2026

A national seminar titled “Integrated Approach for Effective Solid Waste Management” was held today at the Department of Environment auditorium in Agargaon, Dhaka, to mark World Environment Day 2026. The seminar emphasised the need for coordinated action to ensure effective solid waste management.

The seminar was jointly organised by the Department of Environment and the WaterAid Bangladesh–Swisscontact Bangladesh consortium. Mohammad Navid Safiullah, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, attended the event as Chief Guest. The seminar was chaired by Md. Ziaul Haque, Additional Director General, Department of Environment.

The welcome remarks were delivered by Partha Hefaz Shaikh, Director – Programmes and Policy Advocacy, WaterAid Bangladesh. The keynote presentation was delivered by Saief Manzoor-Al-Islam, Team Leader, GO4IMPact, WaterAid Bangladesh–Swisscontact Bangladesh consortium. Syed Ahmed Kabir, Deputy Director, Department of Environment, presented a paper titled “Legal Framework, Institutional Coordination and Stakeholder Engagement in Solid Waste Management.”

The thematic panel discussion brought together Professor Dr. Rowshan Mumtaz, Director, ITN-BUET; Dr. Tariq Bin Yousuf, Lead Environmental Engineer, United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS); Molla Karimul Islam, Operational Head, Sustainable Finance, The City Bank PLC; Masud Iqbal Md. Shamim, Director (Environmental Clearance), Department of Environment; and Mohammad Shamsul Haque, Joint Secretary, Local Government Division. Bidowra Tahmin Khan, Team Leader, InSPIRE project, Swisscontact Bangladesh, presented the summary of the thematic discussion and highlighted the way forward.

Speaking as Chief Guest, Mohammad Navid Safiullah, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said, “Solid waste management is no longer only a national problem; it is a global challenge. There is no alternative to coordinated action to address this challenge. We have the necessary laws, regulations and institutional structures. However, the major gap lies in coordination and effective engagement of stakeholders. To address challenges including plastic pollution, it is now timely to organise a larger national workshop with political leadership and relevant national-level stakeholders to develop an integrated roadmap for waste management.”

In his chair’s remarks, Md. Ziaul Haque, Additional Director General, Department of Environment, said, “A sustainable solution to environmentally harmful plastic waste is not possible without effective implementation of the 3R strategy—Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. To achieve this, coordinated participation of all relevant stakeholders, including government, non-government organisations, development partners, the private sector and local communities, must be ensured.”

At the closing session, Partha Hefaz Shaikh, Director – Programmes and Policy Advocacy, WaterAid Bangladesh, delivered the vote of thanks and formally concluded the seminar.