Bangladesh no more dependent on foreign aid

Agriculture Minister Dr M Abdur Razzaque on Friday said Bangladesh is no more dependent on foreign aid in combatingthe adverse impact of climate change as the country has own fund to handle such catastrophe.

“If the foreign assistance is not available for mitigating the adverse impact of climate change, then even we have enough capacity todeal with the adverse impact of climate change with our own fund,” he said.

The minister said this while addressing a seminar titled ‘Global Climate Change Conference 2021: Expectation of Bangladesh’ held at CIRDAP auditorium here.

To face the adverse impact of the climate change, Dr Razzaque said the government has taken huge programmes including climate change strategic plan, formulating of action plan and also formation of climate change trust fund worth Taka 700 crore.

“Even the programme is successfully being implemented,” he told the function.

Referring to the climate change conference, he told the 2021 UN climate change conference (COP26) is scheduled to take place from 31 October to 12 November 2021 in Glasgow, under the presidency of the UK.

The EU and its Member States will take part as Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), he said.

Country’s agriculture sector would be badlyaffected as a result of the climate change impact, he said, adding: “We are working with utmost importance to protect the sector from this vulnerability.”

“Our scientists and officials are working intensively for different varieties of crops production, technology innovation and extension of saline, drought, submergence and heat tolerant crops including paddy, wheat and maize amid different adverse environment,” he added. “Huge success has already been achieved in this area,” said the minister.

Chaired by Forest and Environment Affairs Sub-committeeChairman Professor KhandokerBazlul Huq, the programme also was addressed, among others, by Dhaka University Pro-Vice ChancellorASM Maksud Kamal, Social Science Faculty Dean Professor Sadeka Halim and Bangladesh Center for Advanced Studies (BCAS) Executive Director Dr Atique Rahman.

Professor Delwar Hossain of Dhaka University International Relations Department presented the keynote paper while Forest and Environment Affairs Secretary DelwarHossain moderated the programme.