A report published on April 18, 2026, warns that the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest, is facing a severe environmental crisis due to the Rampal coal-fired power plant near the Pashur River. The article describes visible air pollution from the plant’s chimneys and highlights how emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and other pollutants are contaminating air and water, threatening local ecosystems, aquatic life, and human health. The project, jointly inaugurated in 2022 by Bangladesh’s then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been criticized for its proximity to the ecologically sensitive forest.

The report argues that while many countries are shifting toward renewable energy, Bangladesh’s former government pursued a policy to raise coal-based power generation to 50 percent by 2041. Environmental experts and UNESCO had raised objections, but these were ignored. The article also notes that land acquisition for the project displaced local farmers and that the coastal location increases vulnerability to storms and flooding.

The piece concludes by crediting environmental leaders who facilitated field visits to assess the plant’s impact on the Sundarbans ecosystem.