Bangladesh:
The Parliamentary Standing Committee has called on the Ministry to take action to recover BDT 5.36 billion from the Climate Change Trust Fund, which is deposited as a Fixed Deposit Receipt (FDR) in Padma Bank.
This recommendation was made during the 41st meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change on Tuesday.
The meeting, presided over by Committee President Saber Hossain Chowdhury at the Sangsad Bhawan, saw the participation of committee members Habibun Nahar and Khodeja Nasreen Akhter Hossain.
According to a press release from the Parliament Secretariat, Committee President Saber Hossain Chowdhury informed reporters that Padma Bank will need to provide updated information on this matter in the next committee meeting.
After the meeting, he stated, “I have noted with concern that we provided funds to Farmers Bank, which later became Padma Bank. We have requested an update on this matter, which will be presented in the committee’s next meeting.”
According to the Parliament Secretariat, during the meeting, the committee recommended the presentation of an updated list of rubber trees and both public and private rubber plantations that may become unsustainable within the next ten years. The committee also recommended taking appropriate measures to classify rubber as an agricultural product in Bangladesh, following the examples of India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
Furthermore, the Ministry was urged to prepare a comprehensive list to estimate the extent of damage caused by climate change in Bangladesh before the upcoming COP-28 conference.
The committee also advised the Ministry to increase the budget for the enhancement and productivity of research activities at the Bangladesh Forest Research Institute. Additionally, they recommended leasing the Regional Bamboo Research Center, located in Domar Upazila of Nilphamari District, as it is currently non-functional.
