Though six months have passed since the ban, the use of polythene bags continues unabated in the kitchen markets. Neither buyers nor sellers seem to be paying any attention to the restriction.
Shoppers arrive empty-handed and return with polythene bags full of groceries. Meanwhile, some unscrupulous traders are still marketing and distributing the banned polythene bags.
It is known that in 2002, Bangladesh officially banned the production, marketing, and distribution of conventional polythene bags to protect the environment.
On October 1 of last year, the interim government reimposed a ban on polythene bags in superstores. A month later, starting from November 1, the ban was extended to kitchen markets, accompanied by promises of enforcement drives.
Simultaneously, the production, storage, transportation, marketing, and usage of both polythene and polypropylene shopping bags were prohibited.
A visit to the markets on Saturday (April 19) revealed that almost all types of products are still being sold in polythene bags. Sellers choose polythene because it’s cheap, and customers don’t need to spend extra.
Paper, cloth, or jute bags cost more, so neither party shows much interest in using them.
Anwar, a fabric shop owner, said, “I’ll just put two small bags inside a bigger polythene one—it’s convenient. Even if we want to be environmentally conscious, we can’t find those alternative bags anywhere. We’d use them if we could.”
A customer buying fish at Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar said, “We’re aware of the impact of polythene. But in reality, we’re not able to use alternatives that match the current situation.”
A polythene bag seller said, “Sales are lower than before. Some are looking for alternatives, but such options aren’t easily available.”
Meanwhile, plastic shopping bags were being sold at "Mayer Doa Store" in the Muslim Bazar area. The shopkeeper, Rakib, said he was unaware that the bags were banned or harmful to the environment.
He added, “If there were awareness campaigns, we would’ve known. I don’t even see jute bags around. If you walk the whole Muslim Bazar, you won’t find any shopkeeper selling them. Not just here—it's the same everywhere. Even the hawkers who sell bags don’t have them.”
Vegetable vendor Azizul Bhuiyan said, “If the government could truly stop the production of polythene, it wouldn’t reach consumers. Then we wouldn’t use it either.”
He added, “The shops selling polythene are still open. We have to give bags to customers. If five other sellers are providing bags and I don’t, how will that work? There’s no alternative available. The government needs to take initiative.”
Professor Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumdar of Stamford University noted, “People are still interested in using plastic products, but we haven’t managed to put alternatives in their hands. There are structural flaws in the enforcement campaigns against polythene.”
Environmental activist Syeda Rizwana Hasan said, “Though polythene may seem cheap in practical terms, its environmental cost is extremely high. If buyers begin to avoid using polythene out of habit, change is possible. We need to foster a mindset of ‘polythene-free living.’ Traditional alternatives to these bags do exist, but in pursuit of profit, factory owners are spreading misinformation.”
