A surge in informal battery recycling, driven by the electrification of rickshaws, has triggered a severe lead poisoning crisis in Bangladesh, endangering millions of children and devastating local communities, according to a recent report by AFP.
Twelve-year-old Junayed Akter should be in the prime of his childhood, yet the toxic lead in his bloodstream has stunted his growth, leaving him looking years younger.
He is one of 35 million Bangladeshi children—around 60 per cent of the country’s youth—exposed to dangerously high levels of lead, a crisis fuelled by rampant informal battery recycling.
The culprit, according to his mother, was a now-defunct factory in their village that indiscriminately scrapped and recycled old vehicle batteries, releasing poisonous fumes into the air and contaminating the soil.
"The air would fill with smoke at night, and a distinct odour lingered," said Bithi Akter. "The fruit trees stopped bearing, and one day we found two dead cows."
Tests confirmed that Junayed’s blood contained twice the lead level deemed hazardous by the World Health Organization (WHO), leading to cognitive decline and behavioural changes.
Lead poisoning has long plagued Bangladesh, exacerbated by the unregulated use of lead-based paints and the adulteration of turmeric to enhance its colour.
However, the greatest threat stems from makeshift battery recycling operations, which have proliferated nationwide to meet the soaring demand for electric rickshaw batteries.
Exposure to lead in children leads to decreased intelligence, anaemia, stunted growth and lifelong neurological damage.
Despite community outcry forcing the closure of the factory in Junayed’s village, environmental watchdog Pure Earth estimates that at least 265 similar sites remain active across the country.
"They break down old batteries, extract the lead, and melt it down in open air," said Mitali Das of Pure Earth.
"The toxic fumes and acidic water pollute the environment, poisoning entire communities."
In Fulbaria, a village several hours north of Dhaka, a Chinese-owned battery recycling factory continues to operate unchecked.
A pipe discharges polluted water into a lifeless pool, bordered by dead land and thick, orange mud.
"As a child, I saw green fields and clear water," recalled Rakib Hasan, a 34-year-old engineer and local resident.
"Now, everything is dead. They have killed our village."
Hasan challenged the factory’s pollution in court, winning an order to cut off its power—only to see the ruling overturned by Bangladesh’s supreme court.
"The factory bought off the local authorities," he claimed. "Our country is poor, and corruption runs deep."
Neither the company nor the Chinese embassy in Dhaka responded to requests for comment, while Bangladesh’s Environment Ministry declined to address the case, citing ongoing legal proceedings.
The explosion of informal battery recycling is tied to Bangladesh’s push for electrification.
More than four million rickshaws ply the country’s streets, and authorities estimate that fitting them with electric motors and batteries represents an $870 million industry.
"It’s the downside of going all-electric," said Maya Vandenant of UNICEF, which is advocating for tighter regulations and incentives to clean up the sector.
"Most people are unaware of the dangers, but the public health impact is projected to cost the economy 6.9% of GDP."
Bangladesh’s Health Ministry warns that unless immediate action is taken, the crisis will worsen.
"If we do nothing, the number of affected individuals will multiply three or fourfold in the next two years," said Muhammad Anwar Sadat of the ministry.
As the nation races towards greater electrification, the hidden cost of progress continues to mount, leaving children like Junayed to bear its toxic burden.
