Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi paid a courtesy call on Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo. The meeting was held Monday at the minister’s office at the Secretariat. State Minister for Environment Sheikh Faridul Islam was also present.
During the meeting, the two sides agreed that the next meeting of the Bangladesh-India joint working group on Sundarbans biodiversity conservation, under the existing memorandum of understanding between the two countries, as well as the next bilateral meeting under the protocol signed between the two countries on Royal Bengal Tiger conservation, would be held in Bangladesh. However, it was decided that the next meeting on cross-border Asian elephant conservation would be held in India. The two sides also exchanged views on addressing environmental and climate change issues, cross-border environmental problems, carbon credits, reducing carbon emissions and developing a green economy.
The environment minister said that because Bangladesh and India are close neighbors, the two countries’ environmental and ecological interests are closely intertwined. He said challenges such as climate change, floods, droughts, river and water resource management, air pollution and biodiversity loss are not confined to any single country. Addressing these problems requires further strengthening mutual trust, exchange of information and experience, and effective regional cooperation.
He said Bangladesh is eager to advance a positive and constructive relationship with India based on mutual respect and shared interests. He expressed hope that cooperation in the environment and climate sectors would deepen further in the coming days, to ensure the welfare and sustainable future of both countries’ people.
The minister said that maintaining a balance between environmental protection and economic development is essential to ensuring sustainable development, and that exchanging technology, knowledge and successful experience among South Asian countries can play an important role in this.
Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi said there is scope to further expand areas of cooperation between the two neighboring countries, prioritizing mutual interests and the welfare of their people. He noted there is considerable potential for Bangladesh and India to work jointly on environmental protection, building climate resilience and sustainable development.
The Indian high commissioner also expressed his commitment to further strengthening the friendly relationship between the peoples of Bangladesh and India and advancing cooperation in various areas of mutual interest.
State Minister Sheikh Faridul Islam highlighted the importance of joint initiatives to conserve ecologically important shared areas and biodiversity between Bangladesh and India, including the Sundarbans. He said the Sundarbans is a shared natural resource of the two countries and serves as an important protective barrier against climate change and natural disasters. He said research, technology and management-experience exchange to protect the Sundarbans’ ecosystem and wildlife could be further expanded.
The meeting also touched on cross-border air and river pollution. Both sides emphasized the need for scientific data exchange, regular communication between relevant agencies, and effective coordination to address such environmental problems.
Dr. Fahmida Khanam, acting secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, was also present at the meeting.