The Zero-Waste Revolution: Can Dhaka Turn Trash into a Climate Lifeline?

 

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By the numbers, Dhaka is drowning in its own consumption. Every single day, the city’s heart struggles to pump through the arteries of its streets, clogged by the staggering weight of over 3,200 tonnes of municipal waste. It is a mounting crisis, a silent engine of methane gas, and an urban nightmare that frequently manifests in the devastating floods that paralyze the capital.

But on this year’s World Environment Day, a different narrative took root at the Department of Environment auditorium in Agargaon. Amidst the rising tide of climate anxiety, experts, government officials, and local visionaries gathered for a national seminar titled "Zero Waste and Climate Change: Advancing Sustainable and Resilient Bangladesh."

The message was clear: The era of treating our planet like a disposable product must end.

The Hidden Resource Beneath Our Feet

The seminar, organized by the Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO) in collaboration with the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and the Ministry of Environment, shattered the myth that waste is merely garbage.

"Nearly 70% of kitchen waste can be returned to agriculture instead of ending up in landfills that generate methane," noted Professor Dr. Md. Abul Hashem, a Senior Technical Advisor at ESDO. His statement serves as a wake-up call to every household: what we throw away is a missed opportunity for the soil that feeds us.

The vision presented by Noshin Naila, ESDO’s Project Lead for Plastics and Zero Waste, went further. She challenged the very culture of consumption, arguing that true climate action isn't just about cleaning up—it’s about a total redesign. "Zero waste is not about managing waste; it is about redesigning the way we produce, consume, and value our resources," she urged.

From Strategy to Street-Level Change

The Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) provided a glimpse into the logistical battle against pollution. Air Commodore Md. Mahabubur Rahman Talukder, Chief Waste Management Officer, revealed a sobering breakdown of the city’s output: 68% organic, 14% plastic, 14% combustible, and 4% non-combustible.

Yet, there is cause for guarded optimism. Through a 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) pilot project, the city is already successfully diverting 100 tonnes of organic waste from the waste stream daily. With three major projects slated to become operational this year, DSCC is betting on modern landfill rehabilitation and international partnerships to shift the tide.

A Battle for the Blue Economy

The crisis, however, extends far beyond the city limits. Rear Admiral (Retd.) Md. Khurshed Alam, Chairman of the National Oceanographic and Maritime Institute (NOAMI), reminded the assembly that the fate of the nation is tied to its water.

"The health of our rivers, coasts, and oceans begins with how we manage waste on land," Alam stated. For Bangladesh, protecting the "blue economy" is not a luxury—it is an existential imperative. When plastic clogs the drains of Dhaka, it eventually finds its way into the rivers and the Bay of Bengal, strangling marine ecosystems and threatening the very foundations of the nation's future prosperity.

The Path Forward: A Shared Responsibility

The seminar concluded with a powerful consensus: there is no silver bullet, but there is a clear roadmap. The experts were unanimous that the solution lies in a multi-layered approach:

Source Segregation: Moving waste management from the landfill to the kitchen.

Policy Enforcement: Transforming existing waste management rules from guidelines into standard practice.

Community-Led Action: Empowering citizens to realize they are the primary architects of a cleaner city.

As Masud Iqbal Md. Shameem, Director (Dhaka Metro) of the Department of Environment, poignantly noted, "Dhaka's recurring urban floods remind us of the cost of inaction."

The clock is ticking. But as the discussions in Agargaon proved, the shift toward a circular economy—one where waste is treated as a resource rather than a burden—is already underway. The success of a resilient Bangladesh may well be measured by how quickly its people can learn to close the loop on the waste they produce, turning the tide from a climate disaster to a model of sustainability.

The Invisible Frontline: Why Bangladesh Must Build a Climate-Defying Health Shield

 

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The sweltering heat that now grips Dhaka is not merely a seasonal nuisance; it is a symptom of a rapidly shifting planetary crisis. As temperatures climb and weather patterns become increasingly erratic, the very foundation of Bangladesh’s public health is being pushed to its breaking point. In the halls of the Department of Environment in Dhaka, a coalition of experts, policymakers, and global partners have sounded a clarion call: the time for incremental change has passed. We must now forge a climate-resilient public health system, or risk losing the gains of decades of development.

The New Reality: A Crisis Converged

For years, the discourse on climate change was confined to environmental circles. Today, it has aggressively breached the walls of our hospitals and clinics.

"Climate change is no longer only an environmental issue, it is a major public health challenge," noted Dr. M A Muhit, State Minister for Health and Family Welfare, during a landmark roundtable discussion hosted by UNOPS Bangladesh. The reality is stark: rising heat stress, the unpredictable migration of disease vectors, dangerous levels of air pollution, and the contamination of water sources are no longer distant threats—they are the current daily burden of the Bangladeshi people.

The most vulnerable among us—those in low-lying coastal regions and dense urban slums—are at the sharp edge of this crisis. Without a radical restructuring of how we deliver healthcare, these communities face a future where the environment itself acts as a constant, looming pathogen.

Investing in Nature as Medicine

The solution, according to experts, lies in an unlikely marriage: infrastructure and ecology. Sudhir Muralidharan, Country Manager of UNOPS Bangladesh and Bhutan, framed the imperative clearly: "Investing in nature is also an investment in human health."

This is not a call for more concrete and steel alone. It is a plea for "nature-based solutions"—designing urban spaces that breathe, protecting the wetlands that act as natural filters, and building infrastructure that can withstand the violent whims of a warming world. The strategy is to move from a reactive model—treating illnesses after they arise—to a proactive, resilient model that treats the environment as the first line of defense.

A Unified Front

The crisis recognizes no national borders, a point echoed by Sonam C. Namgyel of the BIMSTEC Secretariat. Regional cooperation is no longer optional; it is a survival strategy. When one nation succeeds in building climate-adaptive health systems, it creates a template for its neighbors.

The Embassy of Sweden, represented by Dr. Zahirul Islam, reaffirmed a commitment to this vision, highlighting that sustainable development only holds value if it places human health at its absolute center. From academia to government halls, the consensus is shifting from debate to implementation.

The Path Forward

The path ahead requires an uncomfortable level of collaboration. It demands that environmental ministries stop working in silos from health departments, and that city planners view every new development through the lens of climate adaptability.

As we look toward the future, the Sustainable Development Goals are no longer just targets on a page; they are the benchmarks for our survival. By integrating environmental sustainability with public health planning, Bangladesh is attempting to chart a course that others may soon be forced to follow.

The message from the roundtable was clear: we are no longer just fighting disease; we are fighting the conditions that foster it. The mandate is to build a system that is as resilient as the people it serves—a shield, forged in the fires of a changing world, to protect the well-being of the nation for generations to come.

4th Bais Film Festival set for December 2026

 

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The 4th Bais Film Festival of Short Films is officially gearing up to take center stage in December 2026. This after three successful editions that have anchored the local filmmaking tradition.

Led by a collaborative effort between the City Government of Bais under the leadership of Mayor Luigi Marcel T. Goñi and the Office of Culture and the Arts headed by Rolin Cadallo Obina, the festival serves as a platform for homegrown visual storytellers.

“The festival, now on its 4th year, is divided into two programs. First, all participants to the filmfest shall undergo a filmmaking workshop facilitated by The Academy member Arvin Belarmino and Ms. Kyla Romero. The second part is the film showing and appreciation and the awards ceremony which is held every end of December,” Obina shared.

Majority of the participants to the festival are students from different schools. However, out-of-school youth have actively participated in the most recent festival. With the support of the City Council, the Arts and Culture Council and the City Tourism Council, the festival aims to develop young filmmakers and support the country’s film industry.

As the city prepares for its fourth iteration, the festival builds upon a three-year foundation of cinematic storytelling. The first three editions established the event’s core mission of mapping out the unique cultural landscape of Negros Oriental, nurturing amateur directors, and transitioning student filmmakers into recognized regional artists.

Past iterations have consistently spotlighted narratives that explore local folklore, contemporary youth identities, and social realities. By honoring trailblazing winners from its inaugural years up to its third edition, the festival has institutionalized a competitive spirit that continues to elevate local cinema.

With the next generation of filmmakers entering the fray, the 4th Bais Film Festival promises to showcase a competitive and resonant selection of short cinema.