Events

A National Working Group (NWG) meeting, organized by ESDO at the Department of Environment, was held today to boost action on managing and reducing Chemicals of Concern (CoCs) and Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the textile sector. The meeting brought together government agencies, industry associations, academia, and development partners to...

The Retreat and Year Planning Workshop 2025, organized by the Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO), was a multi-day reflective and strategic planning initiative aimed at strengthening organizational vision, team cohesion, and programmatic direction for the year ahead. Held at the CCDB Hope Foundation in Savar, Dhaka, the workshop brought together...

ESDO, in collaboration with UNICEF Bangladesh, has organized a workshop to equip journalists with insights on lead pollution and poisoning. Experts in the development sector and academia discussed health, environmental, chemical, and journalistic processes and perspectives related to lead. The speakers voiced that Lead poisoning is heavily underreported compared to...

On 25th November 2025, ESDO, in collaboration with BSTI and UNICEF Bangladesh, jointly organized a policy dialogue on “Lead Poisoning Prevention and Standard Update for Industrial Paints, Cookware, and Toys.” Experts, analysts, and policy-makers from academia and relevant government bodies shared their insights, concerns, and recommendations toward building a lead-safe...

As part of observing the International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, ESDO launched an investigative study titled “Colors of Concern: Assessing Lead in Paints and Progress Toward a Lead-Safe Bangladesh”. The study was conducted with the goal of evaluating the success of the existing law against lead in paints and noting...

On 22nd October, ESDO hosted an open forum in collaboration with the Faculty of Fine Arts to gather young artistic minds and discuss the toxic presence of lead in their beloved medium of expression, paint. Young artists collectively expressed a dire need to purify paint from toxins hiding in plain...

On 20th October, ESDO gathered local administrators, bureaucrats, policy makers and members of GAIA to talk about integrating Low-M (Methane) solutions within our local waste management infrastructure. Mariel Vilella (GAIA), who joined online, highlighted that reducing Methane is a low-hanging fruit to achieving Paris Climate Agreement and Global Methane Elimination...

This week, the world is uniting to recognize that there is “NO SAFE LEVEL” of Lead exposure. It is an invisible threat with deadly consequences, where the most vulnerable groups are children and women. ESDO commenced the International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (ILPPW) with a spirited rally and human chain...

A new door of knowledge has opened for the children of Rangpur. The Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO) has opened a children’s library in Rangpur. On Saturday, August 6, the inauguration turned into a joyful gathering where children joined the ESDO family to celebrate the occasion. The library was...

A press briefing was held at ESDO’s headquarter in Dhaka today, unveiling our latest investigative report on the presence of heavy metals in teabag packaging materials. Although a preliminary study, as the first of its kind, ESDO is paving the path for further research by heightening awareness among stakeholders. The...

On August 23, 2025, the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) organized a Consultative Workshop on developing the Strategy for a Lead-Free Bangladesh & Multi-Year Plan of Action (2025–2035) at the Department of Environment Auditorium in Dhaka. This workshop was organized in partnership with ESDO, UNICEF Bangladesh and...

We are thrilled to share the highlights of our recent collaborative meeting with Instiglio and LEEP, where key stakeholders—including representatives from the Ministry of Industry, BSTI, DoE, and UNICEF Bangladesh—came together to tackle the pressing issue of lead in decorative paints. During the meeting, ESDO presented critical insights from our...

Youth Voices Rise for a Plastic-Free Future On 28th July 2025, ESDO successfully hosted the Youth Dialogue on Plastic Pollution & Treaty Negotiations at the ESDO office as part of the Break Free From Plastic Global Week of Action 2025. Young leaders gathered to discuss the Global Plastics Treaty process,...

The 3rd Container Group Meeting, which focused on strengthening due diligence in Bangladesh’s textile sector, was held on 22 July 2025 at New Cheers Restaurant, Dhanmondi, Dhaka. Organized by ESDO (Environment and Social Development Organization) and BILS (Bangladesh Institute of Labor Studies), with support from FEMNET e.V., the event brought together key stakeholders, including government ministries,...

We are thrilled to share the success of the Free Dental Camp held on 20th July 2025 at Sher-e Bangla Model High School, Ashulia, Savar. Organized by Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO) in collaboration with MT Dental Center, this event provided free, mercury-free dental care to the community, promoting...