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DHAKA: Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has returned home after attending the World Climate Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Turkey.
A Turkish Airlines flight carrying the prime minister, his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman and other members of the delegation landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 5:40am on Friday (November 13).
Soon after the arrival, the prime minister’s Press Secretary Saleh Shibli briefed journalists on the visit and the government’s ongoing development activities.
During the briefing, the press secretary said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was now implementing the development plans he had presented to the nation before taking charge of the government.
Among the major initiatives are planting 250 million trees across the country and excavating 20,000 miles of canals. These environment-friendly and public welfare programmes are now being implemented across the country, he said.
Shibli added that the prime minister had also presented Bangladesh’s own initiatives and plans to world leaders at the international climate conference, while implementation of the programmes was progressing in full swing at home.
Speaking about Bangladesh’s position at COP31, Shibli said the conference began on November 9 in Antalya, Turkey, and will continue until November 20.
He said November 11 and 12 were the two most important days of the conference. On Thursday, the prime minister addressed a high-level session and presented five urgent demands on behalf of Bangladesh to protect the interests of climate-vulnerable countries.
Various seminars, symposiums and discussions are still underway at the conference, he added.
Describing the prime minister’s other engagements during the visit, the press secretary said Tarique Rahman held several bilateral and multilateral meetings with heads of government and state during his three-day trip.
He added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would brief the public in detail about Bangladesh’s specific demands and achievements at the climate conference through an official press conference within the next one to two days.
Highlighting what he described as a notable and positive aspect of the state visit, Shibli said the prime minister’s delegation to Turkey consisted of only 21 members, setting an example of reducing state expenditure and ensuring accountability.
He also said the current government had moved away from the previous practice of gathering thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people at airports during the departure and arrival of heads of government, which often caused public inconvenience.
It may be noted that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman arrived in Antalya, Turkey, on November 10 to attend COP31 and the Antalya Leaders’ Summit.
In his address at the conference, he emphasised the need to ensure grants instead of loans for climate-vulnerable countries struggling to survive, alongside increased international cooperation.
