Rizvi hopeful of securing fair share from COP-31 as prime minister leaves for Turkey

Bangladesh will be able to secure compensation for environmental damage and its fair share of rights from the 31st United Nations Climate Conference (COP-31), now under way in Antalya, Turkey, BNP acting secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi expressed deep hope on Tuesday.

A 21-member high-level government delegation led by Prime Minister Tareque Rahman left for Turkey on Tuesday morning to join the conference. Speaking to journalists after seeing the delegation off at the airport, Rizvi shared the party's and the country's expectations.

Rizvi noted that heads of state and government from many countries have gathered at this global forum, organised to check rising temperatures and the destruction of nature around the world. In such a complex global situation, the direct participation of Bangladesh's head of government is highly significant, he said.

Calling Prime Minister Tareque Rahman the 'Green Prime Minister', a name the public uses for him, Rizvi said the government's initiatives — planting 250 million trees across the country within five years, a large-scale canal-digging programme and expanding environment-friendly renewable energy — had also been given top priority in the BNP's election manifesto.

Rizvi said all of humanity now faces an existential environmental crisis. He hoped that detailed discussions among international leaders and environmental scientists would produce practical solutions to bring carbon dioxide emissions down to a tolerable level.

Although Bangladesh's share of global pollution is almost zero, the country is at the front of the list of nations worst hit because of its geography, he said. The conference will therefore play a highly fruitful role in securing compensation and sustainable support from the international climate fund.

Speaking at the time, National Parliament Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni said Bangladesh emits very little carbon, yet it is one of the countries worst affected by climate change. The country's southern region in particular is facing severe damage from the effects of climate change.

Moni said those who emit more carbon are not giving due consideration to the damage suffered by Bangladesh. Bangladesh will raise this issue at this year's conference, he said.

Moni added, 'We do not want any mercy. We want justice.' He expressed hope that the international community would extend a helping hand to deal with the damage Bangladesh suffers because of others' carbon emissions.