Bangladesh is grappling with a concerning issue of becoming a net importer of e-waste, as revealed by a recent report. The report highlighted that 40 companies in the country imported e-waste multiple times from 2022 to 2025, breaching the Basel Convention regulations. This led to the entry of around 14,985 tonnes of e-waste and scrap, raising environmental and public health alarms.
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) cautioned that the actual figures might be higher due to misdeclaration under different customs codes. Notably, the textiles and apparel sector accounted for a significant portion of e-waste imports. Experts have raised concerns about the hazardous heavy metals from e-waste entering the food chain, attributing the violations to poor regulatory coordination.
Despite having regulations like the Hazardous Waste (E-waste) Management Rules (2021), Bangladesh struggles with weak enforcement. The lack of effective screening systems allows prohibited e-waste to enter the country. Md. Ziaul Haque from the Department of Environment (DoE) expressed serious concerns about the illegal e-waste trade under specific customs codes, emphasizing the need for further investigation.
The report also pointed out issues with informal e-waste businesses, highlighting worries about illicit financial transactions and the evasion of regulatory oversight. Abdullah Zahid Osmani from TIB noted that only a small percentage of import consignments undergo detailed physical inspections, indicating a gap in monitoring and enforcement efforts.
