The activities of the Department affect every socio-economic sector and direct and influence all activities wherever they might take place in Bangladesh. The Department was created in 1989 to ensure sustainable development and to conserve and manage the environment of Bangladesh. Creating public awareness on environmental management and legal obligations are needed for this. The following Policy, Acts and Rules facilitate the activities of the Department:
 

	Environment Policy, 1992
	Environment Conservation Act, 1995 and subsequent amendments
	Environment Conservation Rules, 1997
	Environment Court Act, 2000 and subsequent amendments
	Ozone Depleting Substances (Control) Rules, 2004
Further information on the Department's legal base, plus downloadable versions of all of the other laws it is responsible for, can be found in:
	Compilation of Environmental Laws Administered by the Department of Environment