Environmental groups launch ‘Clean Air, Healthy Future’ campaign in Dhaka

Environmental and rights-based organizations on Friday launched a three-day campaign titled ‘Clean Air, Healthy Future’ in Dhaka, calling for immediate government action to address the country’s worsening air pollution crisis.

The campaign was inaugurated by Young Women for Development Rights and Climate (YWDRC) at its office of Banasree, Rampura, with support from Nari Unnayan Shakti, Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum and Textile Garments Workers Federation.

Speaking at the inaugural session, YWDRC Executive Chairperson Nusrat Sultana Afroj presented the keynote paper and warned that air pollution has become a major public health emergency in Bangladesh.

Citing data from the World Health Organization (WHO), she said nearly 99 percent of the global population is exposed to polluted air. Referring to a study conducted by Dhaka Medical College Hospital between 2020 and 2024, she noted that every 10-point increase in the Air Quality Index (AQI) leads to a more than 3.8 percent rise in respiratory-related hospital admissions. Increased PM 2.5 concentrations can raise hospital admissions by as much as 5.2 percent, she added.

Afroj said children under five and elderly people over sixty are among the most vulnerable to pollution-related illnesses, including asthma, pneumonia, lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, eye irritation, and impaired lung development in children.

According to estimates by UNICEF and WHO, around seven million people die globally each year from diseases linked to air pollution. Dhaka continues to rank among the world’s most polluted cities, with AQI levels frequently ranging between 150 and 300, categorized as unhealthy to very unhealthy.

Freedom fighter Abul Hossain attended the event as chief guest. Special guests included Dr. Afroja Pravin, Khairuzzamal Kamal, Abdul Momen and Selina Khatun.

Speakers at the program stressed the need for adequate budget allocation and stronger policy implementation to combat air pollution and protect public health.

The organizations placed a 13-point demand before the Government of Bangladesh, including the formulation of a time-bound National Clean Air Action Plan, stricter regulation of brick kilns and industrial emissions, modernization of public transport, enforcement of dust-control measures at construction sites, and a ban on open burning of waste and plastics.

They also called for expanded urban forestry programs, environmental education in schools and universities, real-time air quality monitoring systems in major cities, increased investment in renewable energy and improved healthcare services for people living in pollution-prone areas.

The speakers further urged the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and other relevant ministries to ensure sufficient budgetary allocation and greater participation of civil society organizations in environmental policymaking and implementation.