Dhaka: A writ petition was filed with the High Court on Monday seeking an investigation into the presence of harmful microplastics in 26 out of 34 toothpaste samples available in the Bangladesh market. Supreme Court lawyer Md Abdullah Al Mamun filed the writ petition with the HC bench concerned following a recent study that detected microplastics in most of the tested toothpaste samples.
According to United News of Bangladesh, secretaries to the ministries of Health, Environment and Commerce, the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), and the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection have been made respondents to the writ petition. The study revealed that 26 of the 34 toothpaste samples tested contained between 20 and 320 microplastic particles per 100 grams, with microplastics also detected in four out of the six children’s toothpaste products.
The findings from the study, titled “Microplastics in Toothpaste: Scientific Evidence for Policy and Regulatory Action in Bangladesh,” were presented at the Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO) office in Lalmatia. Conducted between July 2025 and June 2026, the study examined 34 toothpaste samples from 19 major brands manufactured in Bangladesh, India, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Analysis showed that among the 25 locally manufactured samples, 22 contained microplastics. The study also found microplastics in one of five Indian samples, one of two Thai samples, and both Vietnamese samples. Dr Faizun Nahar, Research and Policy Associate at ESDO, presented the findings, noting that the samples were collected from various retail locations and analyzed at the Laboratory of Environmental Health and Ecotoxicology of Jahangirnagar University.
The study highlighted that Mediplus Fluoride Gel contained the highest concentration of microplastics, with 320 particles per 100 grams. Close Up Red Hot and Closeup Menthol Fresh also showed high concentrations, each with 160 particles per 100 grams. Additionally, children’s toothpaste products such as Kodomo Ultra Shield Formula (Strawberry), Meril Baby (Strawberry), Meril Baby (Orange), and Pepsodent Kids Orange were identified as containing microplastics.