Rizwana tells int'l meetGovt working to uphold environmental justice

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan on Wednesday said the Bangladesh's interim government is working tirelessly to uphold environmental justice, climate justice, and community rights within the national governance framework.

Joining virtually as the chief guest at the International Conference on Environmental Justice held at BRAC CDM, Savar, she said her lifelong mission remains unchanged-"how to save our world from corporate clutches, how to empower communities, how to secure their rightful space in legal frameworks, and how to make development ecocentric rather than destructive."

Discussing the responsibilities of the interim Government, Rizwana highlighted three major national priorities: preparing for a free and fair election, reforming key governance sectors, and ensuring justice for those who sacrificed their lives in the recent student-led movement that ended the long authoritarian regime.

She outlined ongoing reforms in environmental governance, including the long-overdue enforcement of the 22-year-old ban on single-use polythene bags and the expansion of plastic-free zones nationwide.

The environment adviser said efforts are underway to restore major rivers and forest ecosystems, strengthen wildlife and biodiversity protection, and accelerate environmental compliance.

She underscored the government's renewed commitment to constitutionally recognised ethnic minorities in forest areas, reflected in the recently approved Forest Policy, which mandates free, prior, and informed consent for forest-dependent communities.

Referring to the fragile state of Saint Martin's Island, she said tourism is being more strictly regulated to revive the degraded coral ecosystem.

Rizwana also discussed intensified measures to combat hazardous air pollution, noting that although results will take time, enforcement has begun in earnest.

She described the unprecedented flood in Feni and the broader climate vulnerabilities facing Bangladesh-river erosion, salinity intrusion, sudden cross-border water releases-and reaffirmed that climate justice remains central to her work in both ministries.

The adviser highlighted the establishment of the Bangladesh Climate Development Partnership, aimed at ensuring transparent, accountable, and equitable climate finance for affected communities.

Calling for a shift in Bangladesh's development priorities, she stressed reducing overdependence on mega projects and allocating more resources to climate-impacted populations.

She reaffirmed the government's commitment to expanding renewable energy under the new policy framework, noting that all government offices have been directed to install functional rooftop solar systems.

Adviser Rizwana also emphasised the ongoing government drive to eliminate single-use plastics from all ministries: "Environmental justice is value-based. If we truly value our people and our planet, our actions must reflect it."

She expressed hope that the next elected government would continue and strengthen these reforms.

Dr Farhina Ahmed, secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Sardar M Asaduzzaman, assistant resident representative of UNDP Bangladesh; Nayoka Martinez Backstr”m, first secretary and deputy head of cooperation at the Embassy of Sweden; Mirza Quamrul Hasan, chairman of the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA); and Taslima Islam, acting chief executive officer of BELA, also spoke on the occasion.