Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley on Monday said they will be following the next general election “very closely” because the international community is “very interested” in what happens in Bangladesh amid its growing engagement globally as a developing economic power house. “I think we’ll be following it very closely. Why we’ll be following it very closely is not because we want to interfere but the international community is very interested in what happens in Bangladesh,” he said. The Ambassador said everybody has a stake in what happens in that election in Bangladesh which is a strategic part of this region and a developing economic power house where ties are developing. The EU envoy made the remarks while responding to a question at “DCAB Talk” held in a city hotel. Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) President Pantho Rahaman and its General Secretary AKM Moinuddin also spoke at the event. Read: GSP-plus vulnerability criteria: BGMEA thanks EU for removing 7.4% import-share threshold Ambassador Whiteley said the key word around elections is exactly the “process” and elections are not events.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Hassan Mahmud has said that the procrastination of developed countries to provide funds to mitigate climate change damages is not acceptable. Hasan Mahmud said that donors are not coming forward to help Bangladesh with funds to boost its capacity to tackle climate crisis. Read: COP26: Time running out in Glasgow, as delegates wrangle over details The minister made this remark at a COP26 side event titled ‘Transparency Mechanism under Paris Agreement: issues, concern and opportunity for effective implementation in Bangladesh’ organised by Center for Climate Change & Environmental Research (C3ER) BRAC University at Bangladesh Pavilion in the Scottish city of Glasgow on Wednesday evening. ‘Bangladesh has the capacity to deal with the damage caused by climate change and the government has shown its capability to take effective adaptation activities’, he added. He said that Bangladesh is an innocent victim of climate damage  caused mainly by developed countries. But they are not taking any reponsibilityfor this. Yet Bangladesh did not surrender to the effects of climate change. On the contrary, it is working with its own funds at the directive or Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the minister added. He said that various initiatives have been taken by the government to produce climate tolerant rice. Especially crops tolerant of drought, flood and salinity. He also said the developed countries should provide necessary financial and technical assistance to the affected countries to address climate risk. Tanvir Shakil Joy  Member of Parliament, said adaptation is most important for Bangladesh. Climate projects should be developed based on indigenous and traditional knowledge through consultation and participation of local communities. ICCAD Director Dr Saleemul Huq said the biggest failure of the COP is to meet 100 billion dollar climate fund pledge. The second failure is that there is very little funding for climate finance adaptation. Read:Prepare road map to raise green energy use to 40% by 2041: Info Minister Gerry Fox, Team Leader, PROKAS, British Council "stated that local adaption will be key to the future in combating climate change. In Bangladesh we are developing a climate finance ecosystem which brings together lead organizations working at local, national and global, creating a virtuous circle to strengthen adaption solutions that respond to community needs, and develop a system that provides the necessary MRV to encourage increased global funds.) Climate experts Dr. Salimul Haque and Dr. Atik Rahman spokev at the event which was presided over by water and climate expert Dr. Ainun Nishat.

The US administration has declared another 14 million Pfizer vaccine doses for Bangladesh under the COVAX Facility, said Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Thursday. "It's good news," he said in a message from Paris mentioning that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken moderated a high-level ministerial virtual meeting on Covid-19 and beyond on Wednesday. Read: Pfizer asks FDA to OK COVID-19 booster shots for all adults The Bangladesh Foreign Minister and his 25 other counterparts took part in it. Bangladesh demanded that vaccines be made public good affordable to all countries, and pharmaceutical companies like that of Bangladesh be encouraged and assisted to produce it locally. Dr Momen disclosed that Bangladesh has distributed 78 million doses, including the first dose of 46 million and 32 million as the second dose. Read:Pfizer says COVID-19 pill cut hospital, death risk by 90% He said Bangladesh needs more doses to vaccinate at least 80% of their 165 million people. The good news is, Dr Momen said, the Covid-19 infection rate in Bangladesh is now around 1% as only two people died yesterday and the day before yesterday only one died of Covid-19.

Security forces are working to help the Election Commission hold fair Union Parisahd elections, said Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Thursday.  “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina clearly instructed us to ensure fair holding of the elections and security forces are working accordingly,” he told reporters at the secretariat.  Responding to a question over violence in the UP elections, the Home Minister said, “Police personnel are performing their duties. The elections are being held in a broad area. You know clashes and violence for establishing supremacy are common in UP elections.” Incidents of killings and injuries were reported from different places and police have arrested the offenders after identifying them, he added. Read: 2nd phase of UP polls marred by violence; 6 dead Voting for the second phase of the union parishad polls is underway in the country, with over 41,000 candidates in the fray for different posts.