Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan joined a session at Dhaka University on Saturday. Photo: PID

DHAKA, May 10, 2025 (BSS) - Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan today said environmental protection must be given the highest priority while approving large-scale development projects.

"Objections raised by the Ministry of Environment should not be viewed as mere resistance, but as legitimate interventions for sustainable development," she said. 

The adviser made the remarks while presenting the keynote paper at the opening session of the 4th International Conference on Urban and Regional Planning (ICURP) 2025, hosted by the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), at Nabab Nawab Ali Senate Bhaban of Dhaka University.

She said there is no alternative to bringing every inch of the country's land under a comprehensive planning framework.

Rizwana pointed out that laws and regulations alone are not sufficient for environmental protection; a shift in values and perspectives is equally necessary.

She urged all ministries of the government to adopt environmentally responsible approaches in their activities.

"In approving housing projects, for instance, the opinions of the Ministry of Agriculture must be seriously considered. Likewise, the environmental and social impacts of urban plans should be assessed across all relevant sectors," she added.

Highlighting institutional limitations, she said, "Authorities like RAJUK cannot tackle these challenges single-handedly. Every relevant institution must be empowered, and active local participation is vital for effective implementation." 

She also noted the alarming threat to biodiversity due to unplanned management, saying that real accountability should be enforced against those who finance and profit from hill-cutting activities, rather than only targeting the workers.

Housing and Public Works Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan, Housing and Public Works Secretary Md. Nazrul Islam, Executive Director of UN-Habitat Anacl udia Rossbach, Vice Chancellor of Khulna University Prof. Md. Rezaul Karim and BIP General Secretary and ICURP 2025 Convener Sheikh Muhammad Mehedi Ahsan, among others, addressed the programme.