Bangladesh Dental Society (BDS) and ESDO urged the government to create policies in order to ban mercury dental amalgam in Bangladesh by 2016. Syed Marghub Murshed, former Secretary of Government of Bangladesh and Chairperson of ESDO and Dr. Abul Kashem, the newly elected President of BDS demanded in a meeting in the headquarter of ESDO in Lalmatia, Dhaka. ESDO in association with Asian Center for Environmental Health and World Alliance for Mercury free Dentistry (WAMFD) organized this meeting.

A good amount of mercury via dental amalgam and medical appliances is used in dentistry of Bangladesh. When applied, mercury spreads gradually to an entire human body. ESDO has been working on raising public awareness and enforcing government policies to stop mercury from dentistry since 2010.

Prof Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, Executive Board Member of ESDO, Dr. Joynal Abdin Vice President of BDS, Prof. Dr. Humayun Kabir Bulbul, Secretary of BDS, Brig. General Golum Mohiuddin Chowdhury, Professor, Bangladesh Army Medical and Dental Corps and Siddika Sultana, Executive Director of ESDO were also present in the meeting.

Syed Marghub Murshed presided over the meeting. He urged the Dental Society to remove the mercury dental amalgam restoration chapter from dental curriculum so that a mercury pollution free environment in Bangladesh gets ensured.

Dr. Humayun Kabir Bulbul appreciated the multidimensional initiatives taken by ESDO to protect the environment from mercury pollution. He added further, “Bangladesh Dental Society has already started changing the dental curriculum adding alternatives to dental amalgam. Government can stimulate the banning of mercury from dental sectors by creating policies.”

Siddika Sultana, Executive Director of ESDO said, “People are conducting extensive research and massive awareness programs worldwide on mercury pollution and protection. Since Bangladesh is a signatory country of Minamata Convention; we should ratify it as the shortest possible time. ESDO expects the government would take all necessary steps regarding this issue.” She also added, “Since its birth, ESDO has been working towards a toxic free sustainable environment to develop the societal sites. It is a pioneer organization to make Bangladesh pollution free.”

Professor Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah thanked the president, vice-president, secretary and other members of Bangladesh Dental Society who participated at the meeting.