The two-day 2nd Climate Justice Assembly 2024, organised by Dhoritree Rokkhay Amara (DHORA), began on Saturday at the Liberation War Museum Auditorium in Dhaka.  Adviser to the Ministry of Social Welfare Sharmin S Murshid inaugurated the event and Dr Muzibur Rahman Howlader, convener of the organising committee, presided over the ceremony while Adviser to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Farida Akhtar attended as the guest of honor.  Addressing the event Adviser Sharmin S Murshid said, "If we cannot prevent climate change, this change will destroy civilisation. This government is committed to taking necessary steps to address the crisis, ensuring environmental protection, and enforcing laws to save our rivers." “This government will take necessary steps to address the climate crisis. This government wants the country to be a green country. We will enforce laws to protect the environment and rivers,” she said. Saudi Arabia plans transparent, efficient recruitment: Spokesperson Adviser Farida Akhtar said highlighted the  severe impact of climate change on agriculture, noting a decline in Hilsa fish eggs due to erratic rainfall and river encroachments. “We need to give importance to agriculture rather than industrial production. Then these will play a role in addressing our food crisis. The use of fossil fuels will only bring harm to us. Therefore, we must convert to renewable energy for a sustainable future,” said Adviser Farida. Keynote speaker Lidy Nacpil, coordinator of APMDD Philippines, stressed the global economic pressures caused by climate change, particularly on the Global South. She called for stronger efforts to secure funding for climate adaptation, criticizing COP29 for its failure to meet financial goals.  ‘Fighting my own shadow,’ says energy adviser about bureaucratic challenges Jalal Ahmed, chairman of the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission; Professor Dr. Mohammad Zahirul Haque, vice-chancellor of Metropolitan University; Md Shamsuddoha, chief executive of CPRD; Shahriar Ahmed Chowdhury, chairman of CRESL and Rabeya Begum, executive director of SDS were ,among others, present.   

Calling the Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI) as a gene bank for local species, Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhtar has asked the institute to focus on adapting foreign breeds while prioritising the conservation of native ones. The adviser came up with the instruction at the inaugural session of the “Annual Research Review Workshop-2024” at BLRI in Savar on Sunday. Farida Akhtar stressed the need for BLRI to issue red alerts, if necessary, to safeguard endangered species, and called for creating a detailed map pinpointing regions abundant in specific livestock species, an initiative she described as crucial for efficient management and conservation efforts. The adviser warned against importing meat, labelling such a decision as ‘suicidal’. “Many foreign companies have proposed supplying meat at lower prices, but we have the capacity to enhance domestic meat production,” Farida  said, urging stakeholders to focus on year-round meat demand rather than limiting efforts to the sacrificial season alone. About the surging price of meat, she called for identifying the root causes and instructed the BLRI to boost productivity through local breed development. AL's accomplices tasked with destabilising country: Jamaat Ameer The session, presided over by BLRI Director General Dr Shakila Faruque, was attended by several prominent figures, including Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) Vice Chancellor AK Fazlul Haque Bhuiyan, Additional Secretary of Fisheries and Livestock Ministry ATM Mostafa Kamal, and Department of Livestock Services (DLS) Director General Reajul Huq.  

Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhtar urged the farmers to increase the production of fish and meat to meet the rising demand during Ramadan. She also called authorities to ensure that surplus food products from the region are sent to other departments to manage the increased demand. The adviser made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a view-exchange meeting with officials from the Department of Fisheries and the Department of Livestock at the Eque Heritage Hotel and Resort in Nilphamari’s Saidpur on Saturday. Health Adviser calls for better utilization of medical training and return of doctors from abroad She also called on officials to work closely with farmers to ensure marginal farmers benefit from these initiatives. She also discussed efforts to combat illegal fishing nets, saying that simply punishing fishermen was not enough. She stressed the need for urgent action to shut down factories that produce illegal nets. The government is working to improve the living conditions of fishermen by distributing modern registration cards. She assured that the government is taking steps to reduce the exploitation of farmers by middlemen, so farmers can receive fair prices for their products. She also mentioned the government's efforts to address the shortage of vaccines for Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) that affects livestock, especially among marginal farmers. To discourage tobacco cultivation, the adviser highlighted the harmful health effects of tobacco, which increases the risk of premature death. All conspiracies to destroy communal harmony to be thwarted: Adviser She suggested that farmers could grow corn instead of tobacco to meet the shortage of cattle fodder. The meeting was chaired by Nilphamari Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Nairuzzaman and attended by divisional-level officers from the Department of Fisheries and Livestock in Rangpur, along with livestock officers and district fisheries officers from Gaibandha, Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, and Nilphamari districts.