Karnaphuli Paper Mill (KPM), the oldest and largest integrated pulp and paper manufacturer in Bangladesh and a state owned enterprise, has been regularly dumping massive quantities of liquid waste into the Karnaphuli River since it started its operations in 1953. A state owned enterprise showing such disregard for national environmental laws and regulations sets a bad example for other industries in the country. Furthermore, the bamboo and the pulpwood it utilizes as raw materials deplete valuable forest resources to the detriment of those communities that inhabit the forest regions of the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
Asfara Ahmed’s report is an eye-opener for environmentalists and others who are interested in learning more about the current state of the country’s pulp and paper industry and its often overlooked and neglected environmental ramifications.
By Asfara Ahmed
English, PBK 44 pages, 2013
Price: Tk.100, US$5