Bangladesh activists call for urgent action to end lead poisoning crisis
At Dhaka rally, environmental groups warn millions of Bangladeshi children are exposed to toxic lead levels despite existing laws
DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV) — Environmental activists, youth groups, and health advocates gathered in the Bangladeshi capital on Monday to call for sweeping reforms to curb the country’s escalating lead pollution crisis, which continues to threaten millions of children.
The rally marked International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week 2025, held under the global theme “No Safe Level: Act Now to End Lead Exposure.”
According to The Daily Star, the event was jointly organized by YouthNet Global and Pure Earth Bangladesh, in collaboration with the Department of Environment and with support from UNICEF. Participants urged the government to tighten enforcement of environmental laws, improve monitoring systems, and expand public awareness campaigns on lead exposure.
Data shared at the gathering revealed that Bangladesh ranks among the world’s most lead-contaminated nations, with nearly 36 million children — about 60 percent of the total child population — showing elevated blood lead levels.
Health experts warned that even minimal exposure can cause irreversible neurological damage, reduced intelligence, and behavioral problems in children, while adults face heightened risks of heart disease. For pregnant women, prolonged exposure may lead to miscarriages and stillbirths.
The World Bank estimates that lead pollution costs Bangladesh roughly $28.6 billion each year — equivalent to between 6 and 9 percent of its GDP. Campaigners said this economic toll underscores how environmental health issues are not only public-health crises but also national development challenges.
Md Maruf Mohaimen, a research officer at the Department of Environment, said tackling lead contamination remains a national priority. “We are working with NGOs, communities, and industries to strengthen regulations and ensure safer practices,” he told the crowd.
Pure Earth’s country director Mitali Das added that lead has already “infiltrated soil, water, and food,” calling for stricter oversight of informal recycling and battery-smelting operations.
YouthNet Global’s executive coordinator Sohanur Rahman described the crisis as “entirely preventable,” urging authorities to act immediately. Demonstrators issued a ten-point call to action, including reclassifying lead as a toxic substance, closing unsafe recycling sites, launching a nationwide contamination survey, improving testing facilities, and boosting public education.
Participants — from students to environmentalists and government officials — formed a human chain outside Dhaka Press Club, symbolizing a united demand to protect Bangladesh’s next generation from what scientists say remains one of the country’s most pervasive yet solvable health threats.
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