PM shares climate change woes with world leaders

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last night exchanged views with world leaders in a videoconference about the adverse impacts of climate change and the remedial measures.

In the video conversation from her official residence Jamuna, she exchanged views with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, President of Mexico Felipe Calderon and Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen chaired the videoconference titled 'Copenhagen Commitment Circle (CCC)' organised ahead of the Copenhagen summit on climate change.

She reiterated her call for the international community, specially the rich countries, to make a joint effort to face the grim challenges of climate change in which the poor countries are being worst affected with no fault of their own.

During the hour-long virtual conference that began at 8:10pm, the world leaders discussed various issues of global warming and the way out to save the people from natural calamities.

Briefing newsmen after the conference, PM's Deputy Press Secretary Mahbubul Haque Shakil told newsmen that the Danish PM opened the meeting introducing the participants and placing the agenda.

The Bangladesh premier, joining the summit talks from Dhaka, said: "Despite very negligible contributions to global warming, Bangladesh is becoming the worst victim of the environmental hazards that should be addressed unitedly."

She said the international community, especially the rich nations, should come forward with their support so that Bangladesh and other affected countries could overcome the negative consequences of global warming.

Listing Bangladesh's plans and programmes to face the grim challenges of global warming, she said her government through its internal resources has already undertaken an action plan involving Tk $100 crore for adaptation to and mitigation of climate change.

In this context, she sought international support to face the situation.