Climate Parliament Bangladesh has signed recently a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Institute of Energy, Dhaka University to work together for the development of renewable energy in the country.
In an event organised in the Dhaka University on 5 July 2015, Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique, Director of the Institute of Energy Prof Dr Saiful Huque, Climate Parliament Bangladesh Convener MP Nahim Razzaq and Advisor Ex-MP Tanvir Shakil Joy said that both the organisations will plan series of capacity building activities in the university and parliament to strengthen climate issues and access to renewable energy and will also develop parliamentary actions for legislative and policy reforms in the sector.
Climate Parliament Bangladesh, a multi-party network of parliamentarians in the Bangladesh Jatiya Sansad since 2012, have been successfully raising the urgent issues of the enactment and establishment of SREDA (Sustainable and Renewable Energy Authority), the creation of the Renewable Energy Fund, the need of a new renewable energy policy and a number of policy, fiscal and financial steps for the development of renewables and for combating climate change.
On 6 July 2015 at the Bangladesh Parliament, Climate Parliament also submitted an exclusive report ‘Bangladesh Policy Road Map for Renewable Energy’ to the Power, Energy and Mineral Minister, Govt. of Bangladesh Mr. Nasrul Hamid. On behalf of Climate Parliament, this Report is prepared by Dr Rudolf Rechsteiner, a senior energy advisor, in coordination with Sumedha Basu and Mukul Sharma after in-depth consultations with the diverse stakeholders including government and SREDA and presents a detailed action plan for renewable energy. Mr Nasrul Hamid said that he would ask SREDA to examine and implement the recommendations of the report.
On the same day in the Bangladesh Parliament, Climate Parliament also presented the renewable energy report to the State Minister of Post, Telecommunication and Information Technology Mr. Zunaid Ahmed Palak who is also the patron of the Climate Parliament Bangladesh Steering Committee. Mr. Palak expressed that he would like to integrate renewable energy in the fast-developing communication and information technology sector through consultation with the Climate Parliament. He has invited Climate Parliament to work on the Digital Vision of the country and suggest concrete programs for RE integration.
On 5 July evening, Climate Parliament also organised a meeting on ‘Discussion and Action Plans on Renewable Energy in Bangladesh’ with Iftar. The meeting was attended by MPs, experts, government officials, national and international civil society representatives. On this occasion, Mr. Nahim Razzaq, MP and Convener, also released the first newsletter of Climate Parliament Bangladesh.