Biomedical Waste Management in Bangladesh: A Critical Review of Environmental Burden and Public Health Implications

Biomedical waste management is a major public health and environmental challenge in Bangladesh, driven by rapid expansion of healthcare services, population growth, and increased use of disposable medical products. Inadequate segregation, treatment, and disposal of biomedical waste have intensified risks to human health and environmental sustainability. This review critically examines the sources and classification of biomedical waste in Bangladesh, existing management practices, environmental and public health impacts, governance and regulatory challenges, and emerging sustainable approaches. Evidence indicates that biomedical waste originates from hospitals, diagnostic laboratories, pharmaceutical industries, vaccination programs, veterinary services, and informal healthcare practices, contributing to soil, water, and air pollution, microplastic generation, and increased transmission of infectious and vector-borne diseases. Healthcare workers, waste handlers, informal recyclers, and surrounding communities face heightened occupational and community-level health risks. Major challenges include inadequate infrastructure, shortage of trained manpower, weak regulatory enforcement, poor institutional coordination, illegal recycling practices, and limited financial and technical capacity. Recent initiatives, including multi-modal interventions, strategic environmental assessments, NGO-led programs, and adoption of eco-friendly technologies, demonstrate promising improvements but remain limited in scale. Strengthening policy enforcement, expanding sustainable treatment technologies, improving workforce capacity, integrating digital monitoring systems, and enhancing public awareness are essential to establish a safe, effective, and sustainable biomedical waste management system in Bangladesh.