In this regard, the Environment and Social Development Organization-ESDO organized a press briefing on “Reconsidering the decision of the existing supplementary duty withdrawal on all types of polythene bags and imposing a higher tax on single-use plastic products” on June 23rd, 2022 at the ESDO head office. This press briefing highlighted the issue that the proposed budget has discord with our existing legislation on the polythene bag ban and the recently published gazette to phase out single-use plastic from the coastal areas by 2023 as well as the Global Plastic Treaty, on which the Government of Bangladesh has already agreed.

Regarding the recent budget proposal, ESDO published a statement that focused on the fact that the Bangladesh High Court has ordered the concerned authorities to prepare the ground for banning single-use plastics in coastal areas. In addition to this statement, ESDO has filed a petition to the Finance Minister of Bangladesh seeking reconsideration of the proposed supplementary duty on plastic bags and the imposition of higher taxes on disposable plastic products.

Syed Marghub Murshed, Former Secretary of Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and Chairperson of ESDO, requested the government to reconsider the decision of the existing supplementary duty withdrawal on all types of polythene bags. ESDO’s Secretary-General, Dr. Shahriar Hossain, and Executive Director, Siddika Sultana, were also present at the press briefing and gave their statement on the proposal to withdraw the existing 5% supplementary duty on all types of polythene bags, plastic bags (including oven plastic bags), and wrapping materials made of polyethylene. The briefing was attended by different journalists from different renowned newspapers and TV channels.