Super shops leading the way in polythene ban implementation

Taufiq Ahmed, a regular customer of super shops in Dhaka, is relieved that the outlets are doing away with polythene bags. He had just purchased groceries from a Shwapno outlet in Khilgaon when we struck up a conversation.

"Polythene is very harmful to the environment, and it's a relief that the government has finally banned this menace," Taufiq told The Business Standard.

Taufiq is one of the many customers we interviewed in super shops across Dhaka who expressed support for the government's polythene ban. "We must protect the environment from polythene. It lingers indefinitely, damaging the ecosystem," he said.

Shwapno's Khilgaon outlet In-charge Tamanna said they initially struggled to explain the ban to some customers and to help them accept it. However, over time, customers have become more receptive.

"With time, customers seem to have accepted the ban and have embraced the alternatives we offer," Tamanna said.

The interim government banned polythene soon after taking office, with the ban coming into effect on 1 November 2024. Since then, the authorities have launched regular enforcement drives across the country, Sidhartha Sankar Kundu, deputy secretary (Environmental Pollution Control-1) at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, told TBS.

Between 3 November 2024 and 29 May 2025, the ministry conducted 415 mobile court drives targeting the manufacture, marketing and distribution of banned polythene. A total of 786 entities were penalised, with fines exceeding Tk62 lakh. Over 200,000 kilograms of polythene bags were seized and utility connections were severed at 11 business establishments, Sidhartha said.

"It cannot be said that the use of polythene has been entirely stopped. But we are trying," he admitted.

While polythene remains widely used in informal markets across the country despite these enforcement drives, super shops stand out as an exception where the ban has been effectively enforced.

"We are regularly monitoring the super shops, and they are cooperating with us. We hold numerous one-to-one meetings with them. Super shops are supporting our efforts nationwide," Sidhartha said.

There are more than one and a half thousand super shops across the country. What has made it easier to implement the government directive in super shops is the presence of chains.

Of the over 1,500 super shops in Bangladesh, more than 600 are chain outlets, with Shwapno leading the way with around 450 stores nationwide.

According to a Prothom Alo report last year, other chains include Daily Shopping with 75 outlets, Meena Bazar with 33, Agora with 23, Amana Big Bazar with 10, Unimart with five, and Prince Bazar with five outlets. 

At Agora's Mogbazar outlet, customers were observed carrying their purchases in alternative bags or free paper bags without objection.

"By now, most customers have been sensitised to the ban and have accepted it," outlet In-charge Azizur Rahman Tutul said.

"We have adhered to the government directives from the start and offered our customers various options, including free paper bags. In fact, many customers appear to have welcomed the ban, and those who were initially hesitant accepted it after we explained," he said.

Lutfa Begum, a regular customer of Agora, however, complained that although she accepted the ban on polythene, the alternatives are expensive.

"The alternatives are not cheap. The ban should have been implemented only after affordable alternatives were ensured," she said.

Musud Rana, a project manager at the Environment and Social Development Organisation (ESDO), said the government should put more effort into making alternatives available in the market at affordable prices.

"It's positive that the ban is working in super shops, given their large customer base. However, it is important that alternatives to polythene are cost-effective. To achieve this, the government should take all necessary steps, including exempting duties on manufacturers who produce them, if applicable," Musud said.

He also emphasised the need to implement the ban in informal markets, noting that the retail market for daily essentials in the country is worth approximately $15 billion, while super shops account for only about 2-3% of that.

Sidhartha Sankar Kundu said his ministry is holding numerous advocacy meetings across the country to raise awareness and is hopeful that the overall ban will become effective over time.