REPORT / INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Most of the local paint manufacturers are going to phase out leaded paint by July this year. They demanded to stop the import and sale of lead pigment in Bangladesh.

They were speaking at a roundtable meeting on lead free paint organised by Environment and Social Development Organization-ESDO at the conference room of its head office in the city on Tuesday.

Local two of the largest paint manufacturers-Elite Paints & Chemical Ind. Ltd. and Ujala Paints informed that they are already in the process of the production of lead free paint. The meeting was attended by visiting Dr. Sara Brosche, IPEN-SWITCH Asia lead paint elimination project manager, and she expressed her gratitude to the local producers for their initiatives towards lead free paint production.

Representative of Elite Paints Ataur Rahman, general manager (sales), said that their company is committed to complete phase out leaded paint production.

Rahman expressed their concern to support ESDO's initiatives for awareness creation and other related initiatives under this project.

A.K.M. Mohibullah, general manager of Ujala Paints, expressed his sincere thanks to ESDO and IPEN for taking initiatives in Bangladesh and the region at large.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Shahriar Hossain, secretary general of ESDO, Siddika Sultana, executive director of ESDO and national communication and policy officer of lead paint elimination project, and Md. Lokman Hossain, technical officer, lead paint elimination project, among others.