Tarique implementing green pledges, Rizvi says ahead of COP31.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has been working to fulfil his pre-election pledges on the environment since the day after taking office, BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said today.
"Our prime minister is widely appreciated by the people as a green government leader. Even before coming to power through the election, he had announced his initiatives on planting 25 crore trees, excavating canals and promoting renewable energy. From the day after becoming Prime Minister, he has been working to materialise those promises," he said.
Rizvi, who is also the prime minister's political adviser, was briefing reporters at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport after seeing off the premier, who left Dhaka this morning for a three-day official visit to Turkiye to attend the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya.
Describing the Prime Minister's participation in the summit as significant, Rizvi said global warming caused by human activities was rising day by day and humanity was facing a grave threat from increasing temperatures.
He said governments and heads of state from many countries would join the summit, where world leaders would discuss ways to cut carbon dioxide emissions and experts would share their views. He expressed hope that effective solutions to tackle global warming would emerge from the discussions.
"We must save our beautiful planet and make it habitable again. I believe this conference will play a landmark role in restoring the environment of the past," he added.
The Prime Minister is accompanied by his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman. A 21-member Bangladesh delegation led by him is joining the summit, which will be held on November 11 and 12. He will address the plenary session on November 12 and is scheduled to return home on Friday.
Besides attending the conference, the Prime Minister is expected to hold bilateral meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the UK foreign secretary. A meeting with the administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) is also likely.
Briefing journalists on Monday, newly appointed Foreign Secretary Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury said the talks could cover bilateral relations, trade and investment, climate cooperation and other issues of mutual interest.
He hoped the meetings would create new opportunities to advance Bangladesh's economic and geopolitical interests.
Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashiduzzaman Millat, Chief Whip of the Jatiya Sangsad Nurul Islam Moni, Dhaka North City BNP Member Secretary and lawmaker SM Jahangir Hossain, Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani and the prime minister's Principal Secretary A B M Abdus Sattar were also present at the airport along with Rizvi.
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo, State Ministers for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir and Shama Obaed Islam, the prime minister's Special Assistant on forest, environment and climate change Dr. Md. Saimum Parvez, PMO Principal Coordinator for SDG Affairs Professor Dr. S M Abdul-Awal, Press Secretary AAM Saleh Shibli and Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu are among those accompanying the prime minister.
