Abstract

In tackling the environmental problems of the country various environmental legislations have been made from time to time in Bangladesh. Here like in some other countries environmental issues are handled by different sectoral legislations. Bangladesh has sectoral environmental laws that deal specifically with land use, air and water pollution, noise, toxic chemicals, solid waste, forest conservation, wild life protection, mineral resources and coastal zone management, industry, environmental health and sanitation etc. Some of these laws, such as the Bengal Motor Vehicles Act 1939 and the Motor Vehicles Rules 1940 which cover the aspects of vehicular traffic were inherited from the British legacy. However, the above mentioned laws were modified in 1983 to provide among other things, for the prevention of undue noise or emission of gas or other substances that may be harmful. Uptil now, this is the only piece of legislation, now in force to deal air pollution from vehicular sources. However, industrial emissions are covered under separate law that has been enacted in 1995 as Environment Protection Act repealing the 1977 Environment Pollution Control Ordinance.