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Sustainable dev demands genuine harmony with nature: Rizwana
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan has said sustainable development cannot be achieved by greenwashing projects or treating environmental protocols as routine exercises.
"We must build systems that respect public participation, access to information, and access to justice," she told a workshop.
The workshop was organised at the Department of Environment (DoE) in Dhaka marking the International Day for Biological Diversity (IBD) 2025 with the theme “Harmony with Nature and Sustainable Development”.
Rizwana emphasized that sustainability requires more than compliance checklists.
“Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports are meaningless if they are not written in people’s language or shared with the people. Public voices must not only be heard,they must be acted upon,” she noted.
Expressing concern over the growing gap between environmentalists and government agencies, the adviser observed that there was a tendency to approve development projects without properly addressing environmental concerns.
“Environment is often treated as an afterthought. That mindset must change,” she said.
Rizwana said she has asked the DoE to make all EIA reports public as people have the right to know.
She said, “Responding to public complaints is not a favour, it’s our duty. We must act transparently and communicate back to the citizens.”
Underscoring the importance of governance reform, Rizwana added, “We must move beyond departmental silos. The vision of environmental protection must be owned by all ministries- not just one.”
Referring to environmental degradation in Bangladesh, the adviser warned, “Our air, rivers, and biodiversity are in peril. Without putting nature at the center of our development model, we cannot move forward.”
Dr. Md. Kamruzzaman, Director General, DoE chaired the workshop while Secretary of the Ministry Dr. Farhina Ahmed, Additional Secretary (Environment) Dr. Fahmida Khanam, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Bangladesh Sonali Dayaratne, renowned wildlife biologist Prof. Dr. Mohammad Ali Reza Khan and Additional Director General of DoE Dr. Md. Sohrab Ali, also spoke on the occasion.
The event brought together policymakers, environmentalists, academics, and development partners to reaffirm Bangladesh’s commitment to protecting biodiversity and promoting sustainable development in true harmony with nature, reports BSS.