More than 180 young people marched in Dhaka on Sunday, calling for stricter enforcement of lead standards, early detection of lead exposure and urgent measures to protect children from lead poisoning, as Bangladesh launched its campaign for International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week 2026.
Organised by the Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Lead Exposure Elimination Project (LEEP) and UNICEF Bangladesh, the rally marched from the National Press Club to the Central Shaheed Minar via the High Court and Doel Chattar.
The campaign marks the 14th global observance of International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (ILPPW), organised by the World Health Organization (WHO), from 18 to 24 October under the theme “From Detection to Prevention”.
According to a report by UNICEF and Pure Earth, an estimated 35.5 million children in Bangladesh have blood lead levels above 5 micrograms per decilitre, giving the country the fourth-highest number of affected children globally.
Lead exposure can cause irreversible damage to children's developing brains, reduce IQ, impair learning and contribute to behavioural difficulties, threatening their long-term health, education and future prospects.
“Lead is invisible, but its damage to a child’s brain can be permanent. We cannot afford to wait until the harm becomes visible. We must test, identify the sources, and act before more children are exposed,” said Professor Dr Shahriar Hossain, senior technical adviser to ESDO.
He said Bangladesh already had a standard limiting lead in paint to 90 parts per million (ppm), while the newly approved national strategy provided a clear direction for tackling the problem.
He called for rigorous enforcement of existing standards in the marketplace, stronger monitoring and decisive implementation to ensure protection for every child.
Rezaul Karim, joint secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said the rally had raised public awareness of how lead affected everyday life.
He described lead poisoning as an invisible but devastating threat and a major national public health emergency requiring urgent action.
Sabrina Rahman, senior assistant secretary at the ministry, stressed the need to identify the major sources of lead pollution, assess the country's current situation and strengthen awareness and advocacy.
Suhan Ahmed, research officer at icddr,b, also warned that lead poisoning posed a serious public health threat to children's development and the well-being of entire communities.
Lead exposure can come from mining, smelting, manufacturing, recycling, lead-acid batteries, consumer products and contaminated drinking water. Lead can also enter water supplies when it leaches from pipes and plumbing materials.
Participants stressed that prevention must cover the entire supply chain, from production and importation to distribution, consumption and waste management.
The WHO warns that no level of lead exposure is known to be without harmful effects. Children are particularly vulnerable because they absorb more lead than adults, making early detection and the elimination of exposure sources essential.
During the march, young participants carried placards and festoons bearing messages such as “Produce lead-free products, follow the national standard” and “Why is toxic lead chromate being imported to our country?” They also highlighted a claim that 7.54 per cent of pregnant women in Bangladesh have alarming levels of lead in their blood.
The rally comes after the Cabinet approved the draft National Strategy and Multi-Year Action Plan for a Lead-Free Bangladesh (2026–2035).
The strategy sets targets to reduce children's blood lead levels by 50 per cent from baseline levels by 2030 and by 95 per cent by 2035. The baseline is reported as 38.34 per cent in the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) 2025.
Participants welcomed the government's move but emphasised that approval alone would not eliminate lead exposure. They called for adequate funding, clear institutional responsibilities, coordination among ministries, stronger enforcement of existing standards, systematic testing and monitoring, and regular public reporting on progress.
The youth-led initiative also sought to raise public and media awareness and build momentum for stronger regulation and accountability, urging policymakers, manufacturers, businesses and the public to treat lead pollution as an urgent public health concern.