Evolution of Environmental Policies in Bangladesh (1972-2010)

This article attempts to examine how the government of Bangladesh has gradually incorporated the environment conservation issues in the national policy regime. The concerns for environment protection were reflected in all the Five Year Plans and different policies of the government of Bangladesh. Major policy initiatives, strategies and plans emphasized environment and natural resources management to achieve sustainable development. It examines all these aspects from a critical perspective including the environmental policy of 1992 which lays emphasis on abatement of pollution and conservation of natural resources. An attempt has been made to study the four decades of environmental policy in Bangladesh right from the independence of the country in 1971.