Enforcing laws and fostering public awareness is equally essential to reduce the use of plastic, said speakers at a roundtable today.

The event was organised by BRAC to observe "World Cities Day".

The discussion titled "Reducing Plastic Waste -- National Policy to Sustainable Actions" was held at the BRAC Centre in Dhaka's Mohakhali.

Dr Farhina Ahmed, secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change was the chief guest at the event while Asif Saleh, executive director of BRAC, chaired the programme.

Speakers at the event, emphasised the need to reduce plastic waste generation and enforcing the ban more effectively this time.

In his keynote speech, Md Liakath Ali, director of BRAC's Urban Development, Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Management Programmes, said, "Based on the National Action Plan for Sustainable Plastic Management, our targets are to achieve a 50 percent recycling rate by 2025 and reduce plastic waste generation by 30 percent by 2030. Strong collaboration among public and private sectors, civil society, and communities can play an important role to address the crisis."

Shahriar Hossain from Environmental and Social Development Organisation (ESDO) said, "Bangladesh was the first country to ban plastic, yet we have not fully enacted it. For 22 years, we failed to enforce the law and find alternatives. I believe that with strict enforcement, we can develop sustainable solutions ourselves."

Asif Saleh said, "Plastic products remain widely used due to their low cost. Many people still choose plastic because it is cheap, and there is limited awareness of its environmental and health impact. Providing alternatives to plastic is not enough. Alternatives of plastic must be as affordable as plastic."

Farhina Ahmed urged all to enforce the plastic bag ban effectively this time. "We are all custodians of our natural resources, and we urge everyone to enforce the plastic bag ban effectively this time."