Political divisions and industry influence derailed the country’s pioneering 2002 ban on polythene bags. Can the new government enforce lasting change with its new ban?

In 2002, Bangladesh became the first country in the world to ban the production, import, marketing and use of polythene bags, a type of single-use plastic bag. The ban, made through the Bangladesh Environment Conservation (Amendment) Act, was seen as a major environmental milestone. Yet by 2020, per capita plastic consumption had tripled from 3 kg in 2002 to 9 kg, according to a 2021 World Bank study.

For the riverine country, plastic pollution worsened flooding, clogged drainage systems and contaminated waterways. The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority estimates that 12-13 feet of plastic waste now sits at the bottom of the Buriganga River, a lifeline for the capital, Dhaka.

As Bangladesh’s new government, in power since October 2024, launches a renewed crackdown on plastic bags, it is worth examining why the original ban failed, what lessons can be learned, and whether the new act can succeed.