Civil society leaders, climate advocates and political party representatives in Bagerhat have called for strong, specific commitments on coastal climate challenges to be included in party manifestos for the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election.
The call came during a citizen dialogue held on Thursday at the Dhanshiri Conference Room in Dashani Mor, organised by the Bagerhat Climate Advisory Forum with support from LEADERS (Local Environment Development and Agricultural Research Society).
The dialogue highlighted the urgent need to address a wide range of climate-induced crises affecting coastal communities, including rising salinity, water scarcity, displacement, fragile infrastructure, livelihood threats, recurring waterlogging, and the long-pending demand for the formation of a Coastal Development Board.
Participants also stressed the importance of special budgetary allocations and initiatives to improve the living standards of marine fishers, who remain highly vulnerable to climate impacts.
Chaired by Shahida Akter, President of the Bagerhat District Climate Advisory Forum, the event was moderated by Md Asaduzz Zaman Sheikh, General Secretary of the Forum.
In his welcome remarks, Mohan Kumar Mondal, Founder and Executive Director of LEADERS, underscored the historical neglect of coastal issues in national policy and urged political parties to respond with concrete commitments.
The keynote paper was presented by Shakil Ahmed, National Advocacy Coordinator at LEADERS, who outlined the priority actions needed for climate resilience in the southwest coastal belt.
Representatives from several political parties affirmed their commitment to prioritising the long-standing climate vulnerabilities of coastal citizens. They said their parties would work to incorporate public demands into election manifestos while ensuring realistic and time-bound solutions.
Speakers at the dialogue included BNP District Coordinator M A Salam; Sheikh Md Yunus Ali, Secretary of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Bagerhat; Syed Morshed Anowar of the National Citizen Party (NCP); Islami Andolon Bangladesh Vice-President Farukh Hossain; Anti-Discrimination Student Movement Convener S M Saddam; Gono Odhikar Parishad President Khairul Basar; and Bagerhat Press Club President Md Kamruzzaman.
Syed Shawkat Hossain and Nargis Akter Eva, Vice-Presidents of the Bagerhat District Climate Advisory Forum, also spoke.
The dialogue was attended by representatives of civil society, community leaders and senior journalists from the district, who emphasised that coastal climate issues must feature prominently in national political agendas if meaningful resilience-building is to be achieved.
AU/BP
