Niinistö, Hasina vow to work together on climate issue

President Sauli Niinistö and visiting Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday vowed to work together on climate issue.

The leaders of both the country agreed the issue at a meeting held at the President’s official residence in Helsinki, meeting sources said.

The Bangladesh Prime Minister also pointed out the situation of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and sought strong support from the European Union to ensure the safe and secured repatriation of the 1.10 million Rohingya people currently sheltered in her country.

She said that Bangladesh is highly density populated country and it is very tough to give shelter to the vast number of Rohingya people. Hasina expressed concern that Myanmar did not uphold its commitment to take the Rohingya refugees back even after signing agreement in this regard.

Responding to a question from Niinistö, Hasina said the relation between Bangladesh and Myanmar remain upheld despite forcefully eviction of 1.1m Rohingya people by Myanmar authorities.

The President lauded Hasina for the economic uplift of Bangladesh under her leadership, said a press release quoting the Secretary to the Bangladeshi Prime Minister, Md Nazrul Islam as saying.

Niinistö also expressed concern that Bangladesh will be badly affected, if the sea level rises due to climate change. He emphasized the strengthening of global warning system to reduce possible losses from the natural calamities especially tidal surge.

Speaking on the issue, Hasina said one-third of Bangladesh will be submerged, if the sea level rises one meter. She noted that different initiatives have been taken to mitigate climate change consequences. In this regard she mentioned that Bangladesh formed Climate Resilience Fund with its own resources to face the climate change effects. She also informed the President about her government’s various measures including creation of green belt along the coast of Bay of Bengal and formation of volunteers to offset the impact of natural disasters like cyclone and tidal surge.

She lauded Finland for recognising Bangladesh immediately after the liberation war in 1971.

“We always value the support and cooperation that Finland extended to Bangladesh during and after the liberation of the country,” said the press release, quoting Hasina as saying.

The Prime Minister also narrated how her father and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman struggled life-long and subjected to incarceration for the emancipation of people and independence of Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh Prime Minister invited the President to visit Bangladesh at his convenient time and sought Finland support in electing Bangladesh representative as the Deputy Director General of IOM.