Today, Friday, September 20, 2024, protests were held across South and Southeast Asia, demanding $5 trillion (approximately Tk 5.97 lakh crore) in annual climate funding for the Global South. In Bangladesh, as part of this movement, demonstrations and bicycle rallies were organized in 10 locations across six districts, including Dhaka, to highlight the urgent need for climate finance.

The Asian People’s Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD) and the Asia Energy Network (AEN) jointly led these initiatives across Asia. In Bangladesh, local organizations such as Amara (Dhora) and Waterkeepers Bangladesh, alongside concerned residents, organized the events to advocate for environmental protection. The protests were strategically timed ahead of the UN General Assembly session and the Future Summit in New York, forming part of the ‘Global Week of Action’. This weeklong protest is being observed in 58 countries, urging the cessation of fossil fuel use and demanding substantial climate finance.

Liddy Nakpil, APMDD Coordinator, remarked during the event that 2024 has been a catastrophic year for those on the frontlines of the climate crisis. In the first half of the year, extreme heatwaves across South and Southeast Asia led to school closures, disrupted food production, and crippled power grids. In southern Pakistan, 568 people died from heatstroke in just six days. In the latter half of the year, intensified monsoon rains—exacerbated by climate change—triggered the worst floods in Bangladesh in over a century, leaving millions stranded and causing $282 million in crop damage. Meanwhile, El Niño inflicted 9.5 billion pesos in losses in the Philippines, severely affecting more than 175,000 farmers and fishers. These extreme weather events underscore the reality that those who contribute least to global emissions are bearing the brunt of climate change’s devastating impacts.

Sharif Jamil, Member Secretary of Dhoritri Rokhhay Amra (DHORA) and Coordinator of Waterkeepers Bangladesh, emphasized that under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), developed countries have committed to providing financial assistance for climate programs and projects in developing nations. A key agenda at the upcoming COP-29 summit in November will be increasing the climate finance target for the Global South. The summit is expected to establish a new collective quantified goal (NCQG) for climate finance, replacing the previous $100 billion target, which has been widely criticized as inadequate. As a nation vulnerable to coastal impacts, Bangladesh urgently demands immediate access to climate finance to address losses and support adaptation measures.

In the morning, a bi-cycle march and demonstration were held in front of the National Museum at Shahbagh, Dhaka, organized jointly by DHORA, Waterkeepers Bangladesh, and BD Tourist Cyclists. The event was presided over by Ibnul Syed Rana, a leader of DHORA and Brahmaputra Affiliate Riverkeeper, with the chief guest being MS Siddiqui, a private advisor to the Bangladesh Competition Commission. Also in attendance were Mir Muhammad Ali, Chairman of the Aquaculture Department at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Aminul Islam Tubbus, Chief Coordinator of BD Tourist Cyclists, Ismail Ghazi, General Secretary of River and Social Development Bangladesh, and Md. Ikbal Faruk, Manager, Research Manager and Implementation at Waterkeepers Bangladesh, among others. The event was facilitated by Mamun Kabir, Manager, Communication and Advocacy at Waterkeepers Bangladesh.

In his speech, MS Siddiqui highlighted that the purpose of today’s rally and cycle march was to inform both Bangladesh and the world that the country is not responsible for the rising temperatures caused by climate change. He stated that the western nations bear that responsibility. However, instead of receiving grants to compensate for the damage, Bangladesh is burdened with loans, which adds to the country’s financial strain. He criticized how the consultancy and planning for these loans are often handled by the lenders themselves, ensuring that the funds eventually return to them. Siddiqui called for this exploitative cycle to end, emphasizing the need for fair compensation from the western countries through the Climate Fund.

In his address, Ibnul Syed Rana remarked that the luxurious lifestyles of western nations have exacerbated global warming, causing significant harm to countries in the East, including Bangladesh. He stressed that the East should receive grants amounting to Tk 5.97 lakh crore annually to compensate for the climate-induced damage.

Mir Muhammad Ali, Chairman of the Aquaculture Department at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, noted that while western nations have reaped the benefits of industrialization, it has placed coastal countries like Bangladesh at severe risk. He pointed out that climate change has led to increased salinity in coastal regions, causing shortages of food and drinking water. He called for climate funding to assist the vulnerable populations in these areas, insisting that it should come in the form of grants, not loans.

Aminul Islam Tubbus, Chief Coordinator of BD Tourist Cyclists, said that as cyclists, they are advocating for the increased use of bicycles to combat global warming and reduce the reliance on fossil fuel-powered vehicles. He also demanded fair compensation for the damage already caused by climate change.

Md. Ikbal Faruk, Research Manager at Waterkeepers Bangladesh, echoed these sentiments, stating that Bangladesh is not responsible for climate change and should not bear the consequences. He called for reparations from the western nations, insisting that the compensation must be provided as grants, not loans.

Mamun Kabir, Manager of Communications and Advocacy, stated, “Due to the historical and ongoing actions of Western countries, they carry a significant climate debt, which has profoundly impacted the people of the East.” He emphasized that it is the responsibility of these governments to repay this debt and provide compensation for the damage inflicted by extreme weather events related to climate change. This obligation is recognized under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which requires wealthy nations to offer grant-based climate finance to support adaptation and address damages in the East.

Following the demonstration, hundreds of cyclists participated in a bi-cycle march to demand funding for the climate fund. The participants carried banners and placards with slogans such as “Finance the Climate Fund,” “Pay Your Debt,” “PayUp Climate Finance Now,” “Invest in 100% Renewable Energy,” and “Stop Using Fossil Fuels.”

At the conclusion of the bi-cycle march, “Climate Strike 2024” was held at Shahbagh, organized by Waterkeepers Bangladesh. This climate strike advocated for funding to address the damage caused by climate change and called for investment in 100% renewable energy instead of fossil fuels. Young people from various parts of Dhaka took part in this event. Notable attendees included MS Siddiqui, co-convener of DHORA and private advisor to the Bangladesh Competition Commission; DHORA leader Ibnul Syed Rana; Mir Mohammad Ali, Chairman of the Aquaculture Department at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University; Aminul Islam Tubbus, Chief Coordinator of BD Tourist Cyclists; Ismail Ghazi, General Secretary of River and Social Development Bangladesh; and Iqbal Farooq, Mamun Kabir, Sayeed Hossain, and puppeteer Shahriar Shawon from Waterkeepers Bangladesh.

Simultaneously, demonstration and bicycle marches were also held in Jaintapur (Sylhet), Mongla (Bagerhat), Pekua, Kutubdia, Cox’s Bazar Sadar, Maheshkhali, Patharghata (Barguna), Barguna Sadar, Taltali, and Kuataka (Patuakhali) to demand funding for the climate fund.