Nobel Peace Prize winner Prof Muhammad Yunus welcomes Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee Ole Danbolt Mjøs at Zia International Airport yesterday. Mjøs is on a six-day visit to Bangladesh. Photo: Photo: Nasir Ali Mamun

Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee Ole Danbolt Mjøs yesterday said tackling the adverse effects of climate change in Bangladesh is not a job only for Bangladesh but also the rest of the world.
He said Bangladesh is already facing the big challenge of poverty.
"I think it is not only a matter of Bangladesh to solve the problem here. It is a matter of Asia, the world," he told journalists on his arrival in Dhaka on a six-day visit in connection with an exhibition on Nobel Peace Prize.
Bente Erichsen, director of the Nobel Peace Centre, also arrived in Bangladesh at the invitation of Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus.
Yunus, his wife Afroza Yunus and Norwegian Ambassador to Bangladesh Ingebjørg Støfring received the two at Zia International Airport (ZIA) yesterday morning.
Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed will inaugurate the exhibition titled "Jobra to Oslo" tomorrow at Grameen Bank head office in Dhaka. Drik Picture Library in collaboration with Grameen Bank organised the exhibition at the initiative of the Nobel Peace Centre and the Royal Norwegian Embassy.
"Peace has to be built from beneath." Poverty has to be fought and related to peace and justice, Ole Danbolt said while talking to reporters at the ZIA.
If people continue to suffer and there is shortage of food and water, the consequence will be dire, he said, adding, "And on top of it, you have the climatic changes."
What will happen in areas of Europe and the US in 10 to 20 years due to climate change happens here in Bangladesh today and now, Prof Danbolt quoted Yunus as saying.
"Therefore, your area is much more vulnerable and on top of poverty you have climatic vulnerability," he added.
Talking on the rationale of awarding the Nobel Peace Prize for microcredit programme, he said the Nobel Committee thinks peace and justice and fighting poverty has to be done from grassroots "where the people are in practice, where people do not only talk theories in economics".
"If you have a person like Muhammad Yunus who has got a brain, a heart, theory and practice, then you have got it," he said.
It was not the first time that food situation in the world is the background for Peace Prize, Danbolt said, adding, "But the microcredit system and what had been achieved was the first. That is revolutionary."
Mentioning that the country has potential, he said, "We have belief in you and now you should believe in yourself."
Talking on the exhibition, the Nobel Peace Centre director said, "When the Nobel Peace Centre opened three years ago, we made a decision that we should make an exhibition about the Peace Prize Laureate." She said they are very proud that the decision for holding of the exhibition has materialised.
Talking to reporters, Prof Muhammad Yunus said the global price hike of food and fuel hit the poor people the hardest.
The situation will gradually worsen and it does not seem that it would improve soon, he said, adding that a global effort is needed to tackle the situation.
Danbolt and Erichsen will meet the chief adviser and later attend a reception at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre today.
They will also address students of different universities and colleges tomorrow evening on the Nobel Prize and Muhammad Yunus. During their stay, they will also visit Grameen Bank Dhamrai office and exchange views with the bank's clients.