On 15 July 2026, the Department of Environment (DoE), Bangladesh, along with Environment and Social Development Organization-ESDO jointly organized the 2nd Meeting of the National Working Group (NWG) under the regional project “Reducing uses and releases of chemicals of concern, including Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), in the textiles sector (GEF ID 10523).”
Chaired by Mr. Md. Ziaul Haque, Additional Director General, DoE, the meeting gathered senior officials, academics, industry leaders, and representatives from BGMEA, BKMEA, BTMA, NBR, universities, and chemical importers associations.
Aim of the Meeting:
To strengthen collaboration among government, industry, and civil society in order to reduce hazardous chemical use, releases, and exposure in the textile sector, and to promote a non-toxic, circular textiles economy in Bangladesh and across South Asia.
Key Highlights:
Progress updates on chemical surveys and inventories across 125 textile industries.
Plans for capacity-building training to phase down and phase out CoCs and POPs.
Launch of pilot projects using eco-friendly “Green Alternative” chemicals in selected industries.
Integration of POPs and CoCs management into draft national regulations.
Development of a database on chemical imports for better monitoring and policy alignment.
This meeting reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to sustainable textile production and showcased the role of ESDO as a driving force in environmental advocacy and stakeholder engagement.
