UK to continue help Bangladesh fight poverty, climate change

International Development Committee Chairman Malcolm Bruce, second from right, speaks at a press conference at Sheraton Hotel in the city yesterday. On his left is Nigel Evass and on his right is Marsha Singh. British High Commission and DFID jointly organised the press conference.Photo: STARStaff Correspondent

The visiting International Development Committee (IDC) delegation yesterday said the United Kingdom (UK) wants to continue its support towards Bangladesh in eradicating poverty and fighting climate change.

“Our government wants to support Bangladesh in eradicating poverty and facing the impacts of climate change,” IDC Chairman Malcolm Bruce told journalists at a press briefing at a city hotel.

The delegation has arrived in the city on November 1 for a 10-day visit to Bangladesh to scrutinise the UK's aid partnership with Bangladesh and the work of the Department for International Development (DFID).

“We have seen [that] a lot of good activities are being done in the country under the DFID funded projects. We have visited Bangladesh for the past five days and will visit another five days and then go back to London and evaluate our findings to prepare the final report and recommendations,” he said.

Malcolm said the Bangladesh government needs to ensure good governance and it also has the responsibility to look at the projects funded by foreign donors like DFID whether the money is really spent for poverty reduction.

A member of the delegation and British MP Nigel Evans said Bangladesh would be one of the worst sufferers of climate change impacts and the British government wants to support it in the adaptation process.

The developed countries, which are mainly responsible for climate change, should come forward to support the countries like Bangladesh, he added.

“Poor people should not pay for the crisis created by the developed world,” he said.

Malcolm said there are resources in the developed countries but that should be transferred to the developing nations for their adaptation. “Resources exist but commitment needed to transfer those from developed countries to the developing ones,” he said.

The UK would try to bring all the developed countries together for reaching a deal on climate change in the upcoming climate change summit in the Danish capital, he said.

The delegation head further said that they have called on the Prime Minister and discussed about climate change and how parliament can monitor poverty reduction projects.

Another member of the delegation Marsha Singh and DFID Country Director Chris Austin were present at the briefing.