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JAHANGIRNAGAR UNIVERSITY, Aug 18, 2026 (BSS) - State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shaikh Faridul Islam today said the government has reclaimed more than 2,300 acres of forest land and planted 2.85 crore trees so far.

He said the government would plant another 2 crore Keora trees on 4,400 acres of coastal land by December this year. The government has also taken an initiative to implement a carbon credit programme for the first time under the project.

The state minister made the remarks while addressing the concluding session of a two-day programme titled "Sustainable Plastic Waste Management Practices in Jahangirnagar University (Source Segregation Campaign)" at the JannatulFerdous Senate Building of Jahangirnagar University (JU) this afternoon.

The programme was jointly organised by the Jahangirnagar University Central Students' Union (JUCSU) and NextEra for Environment, Equity & Rights (NEER).

Shaikh Faridul Islam said plastic pollution, microplastic pollution and lead contamination have become major threats to the country's environment and public health.

The government recently published the gazette of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy, he said, adding that under the policy, manufacturers of plastic products would have to take responsibility for managing the plastic waste generated from their products.

The government has also taken an initiative to formulate a new law to build a lead-free Bangladesh, he said.

"Enacting laws and policies alone will not be enough. Source-based waste segregation must be ensured, while the sources of plastic and lead pollution need to be identified and effective measures taken," the state minister said.

Indiscriminate dumping of waste into rivers, canals and water bodies is causing severe environmental damage, he said, urging everyone to act responsibly to protect the environment.

The state minister stressed the implementation of the "Four Rs" - Reject, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle - in plastic waste management. He also called for the use of biodegradable bags where alternatives to plastic are available.

He urged students to raise environmental awareness in their respective communities and take the lead in plastic waste management.

Calling upon JU authorities to make the university a single-use plastic-free campus, he said the initiative would set an example for other universities in the country.

Presiding over the event, JU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan said effective initiatives and their implementation were more important than merely organizing programmes for environmental protection.

He sought government cooperation in constructing green barriers along the highway adjacent to the female residential halls to reduce noise and air pollution, installing effluent treatment plants (ETPs) to protect water bodies and developing a modern waste management system on the campus.

JU Pro-VC (Academic) Prof Dr Shamsul Alam, Pro-VC (Administration) Prof Dr Mohammad Nazrul Islam, Treasurer Prof Dr Sohel Rana, Director of the Students-Teacher Counselling Centre Prof Jamal Uddin, a UNIDO Bangladesh delegation, leaders of different student organisations and general students were also present.