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Bangladesh Police is set to formally put forward a proposal to the government to establish a dedicated environment police unit to prevent crimes in environment sector.
The proposal with an aim to preserve environment as well is expected to be placed to the Prime Minister during the upcoming Police Week, said an official of the Police Headquarters here.
Sources however, said that Bangladesh Police, in a high-level meeting at the Police Headquarters held on Sunday with the Inspector General of Police (IGP) in the chair, discussed various issues, including the formation of the new police unit.
The proposed unit aims to address the alarming rise in environmental crimes across the country, including river encroachment, industrial pollution, deforestation, hill cutting, and illegal extraction of natural resources.
Law enforcement officials say the growing scale and complexity of such offenses have outpaced the capacity of conventional policing structures, prompting the need for a dedicated force.
Police officials believe that forming such a specialized force in Bangladesh would significantly reduce environmental crimes, ensure proper implementation of existing laws, and help safeguard the country’s natural resources.
In the long run, the initiative is expected to play a crucial role in mitigating the impacts of climate change and preventing future environmental disasters in the country.
The proposed unit would conduct regular drives, monitor environmental violations, gather intelligence, and take swift legal action against offenders.
The prospects for a dedicated environment police unit in Bangladesh are considered high due to escalating environmental crises—such as severe river pollution, illegal hill cutting, and wildlife crimes—which the traditional, already overburdened police force cannot adequately address.
Several countries have already established dedicated environment police units or ecological police to combat crimes against nature, such as illegal logging, wildlife trafficking, pollution, and mining.
These specialized units are increasingly popular as nations seek to enforce environmental laws more effectively.
Several countries have specialized police units to address environmental issues. Mongolia established an ecological police unit in 2017 to protect biodiversity in the Gobi Desert. Rwanda and Uganda operate environmental police units targeting pollution, emissions, wetlands, and forests.
Sri Lanka enforces laws against illegal dumping and deforestation. Norway uses specialized law enforcement for environmental crimes, though not a global “climate police.” International coordination is supported by INTERPOL.
Talking to BSS, Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Abdur Rashid Chowdhury said that establishing a dedicated police unit to deal with environmental issues would be a positive initiative.
