Exercising the power conferred by Section 5 of the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, 1995 (Amended 2010), the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has imposed a ban on the construction of any new industrial enterprises or projects within the 10-kilometer area surrounding the Sundarbans Reserved Forest, which has been declared an Ecologically Critical Area (ECA).
This prohibition was issued through a notification today, by the Environment-3 branch of the Ministry.
However, in light of the ECA declaration, planned and environment-friendly activities aimed at conserving the natural environment, improving environmental quality, controlling and mitigating pollution, and achieving sustainable management in the region will be permitted.
This decision is considered a significant step towards protecting the ecological balance in the ECA formed around the Sundarbans.