Government to Reward the First Hotel Declared Free from Single-Use Plastics

Staff Reporter: Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Water Resources, has announced that the government will recognize and reward the first hotel in the country to declare itself free from single-use plastics.

She emphasized that stopping the use of single-use plastics is essential for ensuring clean air for future generations and children. “Polythene may seem cheap, but we are paying a heavy price for it—with health issues like cancer,” she said.

She urged everyone to use alternatives like jute or cloth bags instead of polythene shopping bags.

She made these remarks while addressing hotel owners at a meeting held on Thursday evening, 24 April, at the Conference Room of the Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner’s office. The discussion focused on curbing the use of single-use plastics in the region’s hospitality sector.

The Advisor highlighted that the court has already imposed a ban on single-use plastics in coastal districts. She instructed the Deputy Commissioner to ensure strict monitoring of the ban’s implementation by deploying teams to hotels regularly.
She also directed the authorities to work with all stakeholders to develop a comprehensive action plan.
“Tourism is a vital part of our economy, but there can be no compromise when it comes to protecting the environment,” she stated. Plastic pollution, she warned, threatens not just nature but the tourism industry itself.

Syeda Rizwana Hasan called for coordinated action from all concerned parties to help transform Cox’s Bazar into an eco-friendly and sustainable tourist destination.

She also discussed the harmful impacts of single-use plastics on beaches and nearby areas, seeking active cooperation from hotel owners to eliminate such use.

The meeting was chaired by Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Salahuddin. Other notable attendees included Superintendent of Police Md. Saifuddin Shaheen, Cox’s Bazar Municipality Administrator Rubaiya Afroze, senior officials from various government departments, representatives of hotel owners, and several NGOs.

The Deputy Commissioner presented plans to eliminate the use of single-use plastics in Cox’s Bazar, while hotel owners assured their support.

Director of the Department of Environment (Cox’s Bazar) Jamir Uddin delivered a presentation on plastic pollution and its control. He announced an initiative to implement single-use plastic-free measures in 500 hotels and 300 restaurants across Cox’s Bazar by July 2025.

Biniyougbarta/sam//