Sayeed Saifuddin Ahmed Al Hasani inaugurated the tree plantation programme held by Mainia Youth Forum, Chattogram Metropolitan on 8th June 2022. Sayeed Saifuddin Ahmed Al Hasani said, “Tree plantation is the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihe Wasallam). It’s a Sadqa-e-Zariah. Due to the excess GHG emission from industrialised countries, the existence of the earth is at stake. Especially coastal countries like Bangladesh are the victims of it. According to the report of Germanwatch, Bangladesh holds its 1st position in the flood risk index, 2nd position in the cyclone risk index and 7th in the climate risk index. Bangladesh is the 2nd in the world to produce more Internally displaced climate refugees. Recently Bangladesh has established the world’s biggest shelter project for climate refugees in Cox’s Bazar. IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) said that by 2050 if the sea level rises about 3 feet, more than 30 million people in Bangladesh will be affected directly and become refugees. 17% of land can be submerged. Soil Resource Development Institute says, from 1973 to 2009, the salinity of soil increased by 2%. For this salinity, 8% of paddy production and 32% of wheat production can be decreased. Following the confrontation of the Copenhagen Conference (COP-15) in 2009, the “Green Climate Fund” was founded in 2010 to financially help the victims of climate change.”
He added that in the ‘Paris Climate Agreement’ of 2015,” developed countries promised to mobilise a fund of 100 billion dollars every year from 2020. But still, the fund remains unfilled. Bangladesh has managed to get only 85 million dollars out of the 4.51 billion dollars collected for GCF so far. This amount is not adequate at all.
Admiring PM Sheikh Hasina’s leadership in climate diplomacy, Sayeed Saifuddin Ahmed Al Hasani said that as the chair of CVF (Climate Vulnerable Forum) and V-20, Bangladesh has been playing a remarkable role. Although Bangladesh is responsible for emitting only 0.35% of the GHG of the world, it has taken the initiative of reducing 15% emission of GHG by 2030. With its own capability of 450 million dollars, Bangladesh founded “Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund” in 2010. Bangladesh has taken “Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)”, Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP) and National Adaptation Plan (NAP). “Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan” is going to be launched soon. Ten million trees have been planted in 2020 on the occasion of the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Bangladesh implementing “National Environment Policy 2018” and “Brick making and brickfield establishment (control) law 2019” stringently.
The South Asian local office of “The Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA)” was established in Dhaka last year. National Solar Energy Roadmap (2021-41) and “Delta Plan- 2100” is underway. To properly implement all these programmes and initiatives to resist the horrible effects of climate change and natural disasters caused by climate change, Bangladesh needs assistance from those countries which are mostly responsible for global warming.
Besides, steps must be taken by world leaders to keep the average global temperature rising rate below 2° celsius following “The Paris Climate Agreement 2015”, introduce “Carbon Trade” globally, impose a carbon tax on industries, plant more and more trees, forestation, increasing the use of renewable energy, decreasing the consumption of fossil fuel, stopping deforestation.
“Only confirmation of world leaders on the climate change issue is the key to escape from this concern. 7.9 billion people of the world have to strengthen the tree plantation movement. Hazrat Sayed Mainuddin Ahmed Maizbhandari Trust along with Anjuman-e-Rahmania Mainia Maizbhandaria and Mainia Youth Forum has been taking the “Countrywide Tree Plantation Programme” every year. In 2020 we planted about half a million trees and this year we aimed for planting 10,00000 trees. I urge all to plant at least three plants and participate in this programme,” he added.