Dhaka: Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Water Resources, announced proposals to transform forest resource centers into nature learning hubs aimed at engaging urban youth with biodiversity. During a meeting with a high-level Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) delegation led by Executive Senior Vice-President Miyazaki Katsura at the Bangladesh Secretariat, she also sought JICA's support to modernize the Bangladesh Forest Industries Development Corporation (BFIDC) for eco-friendly furniture production and to expand into new markets.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, additional proposals included upgrading safari parks to global standards and enhancing digital forest monitoring to combat illegal logging. The meeting, rooted in mutual respect and a strong bilateral partnership, focused on deepening collaboration in climate change adaptation, biodiversity conservation, forest management, and sustainable development.
Rizwana Hasan highlighted Bangladesh's push for renewable energy by emphasizing the solarization of public buildings and referencing past judicial mandates for rooftop solar panels. She also addressed the environmental and human costs of the ship-breaking industry, urging Japan to uphold transparency and accountability in future cooperation.
Expressing gratitude for Japan's consistent support, Rizwana praised JICA's track record of early project completion, budget efficiency, and public trust, notably referencing Japan's handling of the Matarbari project's second phase. Katsura commended Bangladesh's independent development efforts and reaffirmed JICA's alignment with global "Zero Poverty" and "Zero Unemployment" goals, as well as the Paris Agreement.
Katsura highlighted JICA's contributions, including the Clean Dhaka initiative, and outlined four key areas of climate adaptation support: data-driven planning, knowledge-sharing, energy transition, and private-sector financing. Discussions also covered the Climate Change Trust Fund and the new Bangladesh Climate Development Partnership platform to streamline international finance. Rizwana proposed a wildlife conservation trust, inviting Japanese collaboration.
Present at the meeting were Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Dr. Farhina Ahmed, Additional Secretaries Mohammad Navid Shafiullah and Md Khayrul Hasan, Chief Conservator of Forest Md Amir Hossain Chowdhury, and JICA officials Yamada Tetsuya, Ichiguchi Tomohide, and Miura Mari, among others.