As Bangladesh continues to maintain its record-setting growth, solutions to its air pollution need to be worked out carefully without affecting the growth, said US Ambassador in Dhaka Marcia Bernicat yesterday, reports UNB. The US envoy came up with the remark while speaking as a panelist in a panel discussion titled "Air Quality in Bangladesh - Challenges and Solutions" at EMK Centre in the city marking the Air Quality Awareness Week 2018.

Motor vehicles, traffic, construction works and development works cannot be just stopped to prevent the air pollution, she said. The Ambassador suggested that Bangladesh needs to find more ways to bring venture capital to Bangladesh to implement the innovative ideas of the country's young people which need funds to work for cleaner air.

Conserving power and uses of better technologies are also needed, Bernicat added.

Saleemul Huq, Director of International Centre for Climate Change and Development, Abul Kalam Azad, Directorate General of Health Services, Mohammad Abdul Motalib, Senior Chemist of the Department of Environment, Abdus Salam, a Professor at the Dhaka University's Chemistry department, Mohammad Golam Sarowar, Scientific Officer of the Department of Environment, Iverson Long, Environment, Science, Technology and Health Officer of the US Embassy in Dhaka were among the panelists.

Mentioning air pollution as a seasonal issue for the country, the panelists said the air quality in Bangladesh, especially in Dhaka, declines mostly in dry season with brick kilns being the biggest contributor to the pollution.