The government has given the green light to a $57 million project aimed at establishing a cutting-edge e-waste management facility in response to escalating concerns about contamination levels in the country. The Advisory Committee on Government Purchases granted initial approval on Tuesday for the creation of the modern plant at Kaliakoir Hi-Tech Park in Gazipur. The project will be overseen by the Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority, operating under the ICT Division through a public-private partnership (PPP) framework. This approach seeks to boost the national capacity for e-waste processing while alleviating financial strain on the government’s budget for costly infrastructure.
Official records outline the project’s scope, which includes the design, setup, and operation of advanced e-waste processing units capable of handling 200,000 to 300,000 tonnes annually. The plan aims to have the plant up and running by 2028, with expectations of creating numerous job opportunities and attracting foreign investments. Currently, Bangladesh lacks a formal e-waste management system, leading to informal sector handling of electronic waste, often containing harmful substances like lead, mercury, and cadmium. These unregulated practices not only endanger workers’ health but also contaminate the environment with toxic pollutants.
Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, the special assistant overseeing posts, telecommunications, and ICT, emphasized that the initial consultancy report for the project had significant flaws. Following evaluations, consultations were held with local experts and potential investors in the e-waste management sector to address these shortcomings. The Detailed Project Proposal (DPP) was extensively revised, incorporating approximately 50 pages of feedback, including specific use cases, raw material sources, product definitions, supply chain structures, investment models, and clear guidelines for PPP companies’ implementation. Taiyeb stressed the importance of ensuring that private partners adhere to a structured, outcome-focused model centered on principles of reuse and recycling.