Environmental activists, educators, community representatives and women entrepreneurs in Manikganj have called for an immediate ban on the production, sale and use of highly hazardous pesticides, including paraquat, citing concerns over public health and environmental safety.
A human chain and discussion meeting were held on August 11 on Beutha Road in Manikganj under the slogan, “Ban Paraquat and All Highly Hazardous Pesticides.”
The program was organized to demand pesticide-free agriculture and raise public awareness about the harmful impacts of toxic agricultural chemicals.
The discussion was chaired by Iqbal Hossain Kochi, Joint Convener of the Manikganj District Green Coalition, and moderated by Bimal Ray, Regional Coordinator of the Bangladesh Resource Center for Indigenous Knowledge (BARCIK).
Among those who spoke at the event were Mo.shamim Biswas, General Secretary of the district unit of JASAS; Professor Mainuddin Ahmed; Professor Monwar Hossain; Professor Anisur Rahman; retired headteacher Mirza Iskandar; Md. Harun-or-Rashid; Hossain Ali Master; Md. Masudur Rahman, Headteacher of Helachia High School; Mahmud Haider Khokon, Convener of the Green Coalition’s Nabogram Union Committee; Md. Monsur Ali, Convener of the Betila-Mitara Union Parishad; fiction writer Kalpana Sultana; and women entrepreneurs Asma Akter and Mila Akter of the Agroecology Learning Center.
Speakers expressed concern that highly hazardous pesticides, including paraquat, are still reportedly being sold in markets in Manikganj despite serious concerns about their potential impacts on human health and the environment.
“It is difficult to understand how highly hazardous pesticides such as paraquat are still being sold in Manikganj markets, apparently escaping regulatory oversight,” participants said.
The demonstrators called on the authorities to immediately remove highly hazardous pesticides from local markets and take effective measures to stop their use. They also demanded widespread awareness campaigns among farmers about the risks of toxic pesticides and greater promotion of safer and environmentally friendly agricultural alternatives.
Participants stressed that protecting public health, biodiversity and the environment requires a transition toward safer and more sustainable agricultural practices. They highlighted agroecology and reduced dependence on hazardous chemical pesticides as important pathways toward healthier farming systems.
The event concluded with calls for stronger monitoring of pesticide markets, effective enforcement of existing regulations and greater institutional support for farmers adopting safer and ecological farming practices.
