Staff Correspondent:

The government has imposed a ban on construction of new industrial establishments of projects within 10 km radius of the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest in the Southwestern part of Bangladesh.

The ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on Monday issued a gazette notification to this end.

“Exercising the power conferred under 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 new industrial establishments or projects within the 10 km radius, declared as the Ecologically Critical Area (ECA), surrounding the Sundarbans Reserve Forest,” the notification said.

However, in light with the ECA declaration, environmentally sustainable and planned activities aimed at conserving the natural environment, improving environmental quality, controlling and mitigating pollution, and ensuring sustainable management may be undertaken in the area.

This decision is considered a significant step toward maintaining the ecological balance in the ECA region surrounding the Sundarbans, said a ministry press release.