Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan today said that environmental protection must be the top priority in approving large-scale development projects, calling objections from the environment ministry "legitimate interventions" for sustainable growth.

Speaking at the opening of the 4th International Conference on Urban and Regional Planning (ICURP) 2025 at Dhaka University, she said the need for a comprehensive national land-use plan and urged all ministries to adopt environmentally responsible approaches.

She also said that legal frameworks alone are not enough, urging a shift in values and real accountability for activities harming biodiversity, such as hill-cutting. 
The limitations of institutions like RAJUK and called for stronger local participation and institutional empowerment, she added. 

The event, hosted by the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), was attended by key figures including Housing Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan and UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacludia Rossbach.

MN/