Bangladesh delegation heads to Turkiye for COP-31 climate summit, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman

A 21-member high-level government delegation from Bangladesh left Dhaka on Tuesday morning to attend the 31st United Nations Climate Conference (COP-31) in Antalya, Turkiye. The delegation is led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

After seeing the delegation off at the airport, BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi told journalists he was hopeful Bangladesh would succeed in securing compensation for environmental damage and its rightful dues.

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

Calling Prime Minister Tarique Rahman the "Green Prime Minister" among the people, he 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 the whole of humanity is now facing an existential environmental crisis.

He said realistic solutions could emerge from detailed discussions among international leaders and environmental scientists to bring carbon dioxide emissions down to a tolerable level.

He noted that although Bangladesh's share of global pollution is almost zero, the country is among the worst-affected nations for geographical reasons.

Rizvi believes the summit will therefore play a highly effective role in ensuring Bangladesh's share of compensation and sustainable support from the international climate fund.

At the time, Jatiya Sangsad Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni said Bangladesh emits very little carbon in the world. Yet Bangladesh is one of the countries worst affected by climate change.

He said the country's southern region in particular is facing severe damage from climate change. Those who emit more carbon are not giving proper consideration to Bangladesh's losses, he alleged.

He said Bangladesh would raise the matter at this summit.

Nurul Islam Moni added, "We do not want any mercy. We want justice. If Bangladesh is harmed because of others' carbon emissions, we hope the international community will extend a helping hand to deal with that damage."