Challenges, responses and collaborations concerning environmental crimes and harms in Bangladesh

As Kailemia (2018) observes, ‘environmental crimes are an area of increasing concern, not only because of [their] globalised nature’ but because these crimes have ‘impacts beyond the capacity of criminal justice systems of most states to comprehend or address’. How then can criminal justice agencies, particularly in the global south, respond to national and transnational environmental challenges? This paper takes the case of Bangladesh and outlines examples of anthropogenic activities that are destroying biodiversity and polluting the environment in this country. It then situates these crimes and harms in the context of environmental law, and the work of police and environment agencies, in Bangladesh. The paper concludes with a consideration of future options for environmental law enforcement in Bangladesh.