Bangladesh, Finland to work together on climate change
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina meets Finland President Sauli Niinisto
UNB, Finland
Bangladesh and Finland on Tuesday agreed to work together on the climate change issue. The consensus came at a meeting between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Finland President Sauli Niinisto at the Presidents official residence in Helsinki. The Prime Minister who is in Finland on a four-day visit sought strong support from the European Union over the safe and secured repatriation of the 1.1 million Rohingya who have taken shelter in Bangladesh.
The Prime Ministers Speech Writer (Secretary) Md Nazrul Islam briefed reporters after the meeting. The Finnish President lauded Sheikh Hasina for the economic uplift of Bangladesh under her leadership. He also expressed concern that Bangladesh will be badly affected if the sea level rises due to climate change.
Sauli Niinisto also emphasised on strengthening the global warning system to reduce losses from the natural calamities, especially tidal surge.
About the climate change issue, the Prime Minister said one-thirds of Bangladesh will be submerged if the sea level rises by 1 metre.
She noted that different initiatives have been taken to mitigate climate change consequences.
Sheikh Hasina mentioned the formation of Bangladesh Climate Resilience Fund with own resources to face the climate change effects.
She also informed the Finnish President about her governments various measures, including creation of green belt along the coast of Bay of Bengal and formation of volunteers, to offset the impacts of natural disasters like cyclone and tidal surge.
Sheikh Hasina pointed out that Bangladesh is highly densely populated and it is very tough to give shelter to the vast number of Rohinyga people.
She expressed concern that Myanmar did not keep its promise to take back the Rohingya even after signing an agreement to this end. Responding to a query from the President, the Prime Minister said relations with Myanmar did not deteriorate even after the forceful eviction of 1.1 million Rohingya by the Myanmar authorities.
She said Bangladesh pursues the foreign policy of friendship to all, malice to none and it maintains very good relations with its neighbours.
Sheikh Hasina narrated different development indices, including 8.13 percent GDP growth this year, and urged the Finnish investors to invest in Bangladesh. Mentioning that her government is setting up 100 exclusive economic zones, she said the Finnish entrepreneurs could have one of them if they want.
The Prime Minister lauded Finland for recognising Bangladesh immediately after the War of Liberation in 1971. We always value the support and cooperation that Finland extended to Bangladesh during and after the liberation of the country, she said.
The Prime Minister narrated how her father and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman struggled throughout his life and was subjected to incarceration for the emancipation of people and independence of the country.
Responding to a query of the President, Hasina also recollected her own struggle after the assassination of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with most of his family members. She said she returned home with the peoples support in 1981 and it was the people who voted her four times as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
The Prime Minister invited the Finnish President to visit Bangladesh at his convenient time and sought Finland support in electing Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque as the Deputy Director General of IOM. At the beginning of the meeting, both the Prime Minister and the Finnish President exchanged greetings.
The President received Sheikh Hasina at his residence on her arrival. The Prime Minister signed the visitor book, the PMs speech writer said.
