Bangladesh has no way to tell how much lead chromate, a toxic pigment used in paints and coatings, enters the country, according to a study presented in Dhaka on 3 November. The chemical has no customs code of its own. It sits under a broader Harmonised System code that also covers chromium pigments without lead, so official trade data cannot separate it out.
The Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO) presented the findings at a roundtable with the Department of Environment and the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) at the department’s office.
Key findings
- Imports under the broader customs category rose 51.1 percent between 2022 and 2025, from 427,481 kg to about 645,800 kg, based on UN Comtrade data. Their value grew from $1.69 million to $2.29 million.
- India supplied 89.9 to 93 percent of those imports by weight, with China second.
- Paint is the main use. The study found no domestic production of the pigment. Small paint makers often buy pigments through chemical traders, which makes supply chains hard to trace.
- Some lead chromate may also arrive inside finished paints and pigment pastes imported under other codes.
Why it matters
Lead exposure can damage the brain and nervous system, especially in children, and can cause learning and behaviour problems. Bangladesh set a mandatory limit of 90 parts per million of lead in decorative paints in 2018. Standards for seven categories of industrial paints and coatings have been drafted but are not yet approved by BSTI or published in the gazette.
A separate ESDO assessment in 2025 found that 68 of 161 decorative paint samples from Dhaka and Chattogram, or 42.2 percent, were above the legal limit. In August the cabinet approved a draft National Strategy and Multi-Year Action Plan for a Lead-Free Bangladesh (2026-2035).
What the study recommends
The study calls for a separate customs identification for lead chromate, routine lab testing and market inspections, and technical help for small and medium paint makers moving to safer pigments. Md Saidur Rahman, additional secretary at the environment ministry, asked for an economic assessment of the industries that use the pigment so the shift causes less disruption. ESDO’s Md Shahriar Hossain suggested green taxes to push firms toward lead-free materials. Razinara Begum of the Department of Environment said chemical management rules are being drafted and that workers handling lead without protective equipment need protection.
“Lead chromate is just one of the sources of lead exposure, and addressing it must be part of a broader, comprehensive effort to eliminate lead pollution,” said Siddika Sultana, ESDO’s executive director.
Sources
- Govt clueless on toxic lead-based paint imports, The Daily Star, 4 November 2026
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