Bangladesh
Hasina | COP 26 Prime Minister holds bilateral meetings with Prince Charles and UK counterpart Boris Johnson
Dhaka, November 3: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has held a bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The two Prime Ministers discussed various issues of bilateral and mutual interest. The meeting took place on Tuesday (November 2) at the Cop-26 venue's UK meeting room at the Scottish Exhibition Center.
Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called on Prince Charles, heir to the British throne. Bilateral and issues of mutual interest are discussed in both. He also discussed climate change and development issues on the sidelines of COP-28 with U.S. businessmen and philanthropists Bill Gates and Melinda Gates.
In a press briefing on the Prime Minister's busy schedule, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said that while talking to two global personalities, he highlighted Bangladesh's challenges, initiatives and needs in tackling the effects of climate change.
He said Charles was accompanied by representatives of four major banks, including HSBC, while the Prince of Wales, who serves on behalf of the Queen, spoke about the private sector's involvement in climate issues.
"They want the private sector to be involved in the climate problem," Momen said.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister made some proposals for investment in renewable energy sector especially coastal wind power and construction of dams and roads along coastal belts and river banks.
Sheikh Hasina said her government has taken a bold decision to scrap 10 coal-fired power plants with USD 12 billion in foreign investment, which reflects Bangladesh's interest in focusing on renewable energy in the interest of the environment.
The Charles-led delegation said they would examine the proposals for a visit to Bangladesh as they wanted to take part in the development process.
Momen said British dignitaries had commented that under the dynamic leadership of Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh was doing an excellent job in terms of development and climate resilience.
In discussions with Bill Gates and Melinda Gates, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh outlined various steps taken by her government on climate issues such as adoption of climate adaptation program and overall development of the country.
The Secretary said that Bill Gates and Melinda Gates have said that they have been inspired by the digitization and agricultural development of Bangladesh and have expressed their desire to do more to this end.
