Jamaat urges government to prioritise grant-based climate funds over loans

Members of the Jamaat-e-Islami delegation taking part in COP31 have called on the Bangladesh government to prioritise grant-based funds over loans. They made the demands while speaking to journalists in front of the Bangladesh Pavilion at the COP31 venue in Antalya, Turkey, on Saturday.

Speaking at the press conference, Mahbubul Alam Salehi, a member of the parliamentary standing committee on environment, forest and climate change and a Jamaat MP from Kurigram-3, said Bangladesh is in no way responsible for climate change, yet it bears more of its negative effects.

He said the funds Bangladesh has received from previous climate conferences amount to less than 9 percent of what was promised, and most of that came as loans. That is why the government must in future emphasise grant-based funds over such loans.

Mahbubul Alam Salehi said there was widespread irregularity and corruption in spending the international funds that had earlier come into the climate fund. So, to stop corruption in the allocation that is coming next, regular tracking reports must be published in public.

At the press conference, the Jamaat delegation welcomed Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's five urgent proposals at the world climate conference. The Jamaat MP said the $30 million allocation promised for Bangladesh must be ensured to reach the people affected by climate change.

At the same time, he demanded that it be ensured that the money is used in a completely corruption-free manner. Getting the money to the affected people and using it transparently were both at the centre of his demand.

At the press conference, Mahbubul Alam Salehi presented Jamaat's "Three Zero Vision" for protecting the environment, mentioning zero floods, zero waste and zero environment degradation.

He said this Three Zero Vision had also been presented by Jamaat at various side events. At the same time, world leaders were urged to protect Bangladesh and the world from climate change and to protect the environment.

The Jamaat MP said climate change or protecting the environment is not a political, religious or regional issue. So the government must work with all sides to obtain the expected funds.

Also present at the press conference was Mahmudul Hasan, coordinator of the Jamaat delegation taking part in COP31. The delegation raised these demands before journalists in front of the Bangladesh Pavilion while COP31 was under way in Antalya.