3 million tons of e-waste is generated in the country every year. By 2025, Bangladesh will become a wasteland of millions of tons of e-waste. Computer related business will expand into PCB-based metal conversion businesses, which could lead to humanitarian crises in the country by 2030. In order to control this crisis, strict enforcement of the law is necessary to stop the import of refurbished electronics products entering the country along with ensuring e-waste management.
Speakers highlighted such fears in the round table discussion titled ‘Bangladesh at Carbon Risk of E-waste: Causes and Ways of Transition’ held at the capital’s Panpacific Sonargaon Hotel recently under the initiative of Bangladesh ICT Journalists Forum (BIJF).
In welcome speech, BIJF president Nazneen Nahar said that the initiative taken by BIJF will be strengthened in the future to protect future generations from its dangers besides highlighting the harmful aspects of e-waste. The program was moderated by Shafkat Haider, member of the executive committee of SAARC CCI (Bangladesh).
Mohammad Zahirul Islam, Managing Director of Smart Technologies (BD) Limited said, “Conversion of e-waste to e-resources through management is not commercially viable. We are thinking about our internal e-waste management. Then again e-waste is being dumped in Bangladesh from foreign countries. Some businessmen based in Pakistan, some unscrupulous businessmen of Bangladesh are working together in this. Around 12 to 15 thousand refurbished laptops are entering into our market every month.
Dhaka University Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering Department Head, Professor Dr. Lafifa Jamal said, ‘Today’s electronics products are tomorrow’s e-waste. Keyboards, mouse etc. generates more e-waste than laptops. So we have to decide where to dump them.
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