Bangladesh must strengthen air pollution monitoring, reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and accelerate the adoption of renewable energy to improve air quality and build a cleaner, safer and more sustainable energy system, environmental experts have said.
The call came at a discussion in Dhaka on Saturday titled “Renewables Now: Renewable Energy to Combat Air Pollution”, held at the Shafiqul Kabir Auditorium of the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU).
The event was organised jointly by Dhoritri Rokhhay Amra (DHORA), Stamford University Bangladesh and 35 other civic and social organisations. Representatives of 37 organisations took part in discussions on how renewable energy could help tackle air pollution and support Bangladesh’s transition away from fossil fuels.
The session was chaired by Dr Mosammat Mahmuda Parvin, associate professor and chairperson of the Department of Environmental Science at Stamford University Bangladesh. Professor Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder, dean of the university’s Faculty of Science, moderated the discussion and presented the keynote paper.
Professor Sharif Nafees As-Saber, vice-chancellor of Stamford University Bangladesh, attended as chief guest, while Mohammad Ziaul Haque, a former director of the Department of Environment, was the special guest.
The designated discussants included Dr A T M Nurul Amin, professor emeritus at the Asian Institute of Technology and professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Management at North South University, and Roufa Khanam, deputy director of the Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research at BRAC University.
Professor As-Saber stressed the importance of identifying pollution sources and raising public awareness to develop effective solutions. He called for greater use of domestic technologies, alongside the adoption of relevant international technologies and expertise.
Presenting the keynote paper, Professor Majumder warned that air pollution was not only damaging public health but also undermining the performance and economic viability of renewable energy systems, particularly solar power.
Fine particulate matter, dust and toxic emissions from burning fossil fuels, especially coal and fuel oil, can accumulate on solar panels, reducing their ability to generate electricity, he said.
The resulting problem creates a contradiction for countries seeking to cut carbon emissions by expanding solar power: pollution from conventional energy sources can reduce the output of the cleaner alternatives intended to replace them.
The accumulation of pollutants on solar panels also increases cleaning and maintenance costs, potentially reducing the economic benefits of solar installations and complicating Bangladesh’s efforts to expand clean electricity generation.
Professor Majumder outlined three key demands to address the challenges.
First, he called for faster implementation of the 3,000-megawatt industrial rooftop solar programme and the implementation of a decision to withdraw import duties on solar equipment.
Second, he urged industrial facilities to introduce data-driven, robotic or artificial intelligence-based automated systems to clean solar panels, helping maintain their efficiency while reducing maintenance burdens.
Third, he called for strict, real-time monitoring of emissions from industrial zones and coal-fired power stations to ensure that pollution standards were properly enforced.
Dr Nurul Amin argued that policymakers should focus on quality of life rather than material living standards alone, emphasising that access to trees, rivers, clean water and an unpolluted natural environment was fundamental to human well-being.
He also called for changes in public behaviour and urban planning to reduce dependence on private cars. Bringing workplaces and residential areas closer together, he suggested, could help reduce unnecessary travel and associated emissions.
Dr Parvin said air pollution had evolved from an environmental concern into a major public health threat with serious implications for future generations.
She stressed that sustainable development and green industrialisation were essential to tackling the crisis, calling for environmental considerations to be integrated into economic and industrial development policies.
Mr Haque similarly warned that pollution was directly obstructing the expansion of renewable energy. Dust and other pollutants reduce solar panel efficiency, he said, while increasing the costs of maintaining installations.
He added that the effective implementation of existing plans remained a major challenge, highlighting the gap between policy commitments and practical action.
Ms Khanam drew attention to the contradiction between investment in solar power and the continued pollution caused by activities such as open waste burning.
Installing solar panels alone would not be sufficient to deliver the expected environmental and economic benefits, she said. Proper maintenance, greater public awareness and coordinated action among government agencies, industries, communities and other stakeholders were also necessary.
The discussion underscored the need to treat air pollution control and renewable energy expansion as interconnected policy priorities. Speakers argued that cleaner energy would be more effective if accompanied by stronger emissions monitoring, better enforcement of environmental regulations and measures to prevent pollution from undermining renewable energy infrastructure.