President M Abdul Hamid on Sunday urged international community and donor agencies to take a collective measure to continue the ongoing economic development trend and ensure the sustainable progress of the states vulnerable to the climate change affect.
“Bangladesh is one of climate change affected countries of the world, but it plays a very little role in the overall environmental pollution process . . . So the states responsible for the pollution will have to play responsible role to overcome the crisis,” he addressed the inaugural session of an international conference at a city hotel here.
The President added: “Impacts due to climate change is now a global phenomenon. So the whole world must come forward to resolve this crisis with financial and technical supports.”
The Earth and Environmental Science Faculty of Dhaka University organised the seminar titled “International Conference on Earth & Environmental Sciences and Technology (ICEEST) for Sustainable Development – 2020” with Professor Dr. Peter Sammonds of University College London as the conference speaker.
“In the era of globalisation, the coordination of technological excellence with theoretical knowledge and its proper usage is mandatory to gear up the sustainable development,” he said.
Referring to the existing large maritime boundary of Bangladesh, President Hamid said a golden opportunity centering the blue economy has been created here, adding “We have to build skilled manpower to explore the potentials.”
The President highly appreciated the ability of research and other activities of the Dhaka University as part of the implementing future economic plan and activities based on the blue-economy.
He asked the university authority to make the academic curriculum modern, empirical and realistic so that the university graduates can keep themselves ready with self-confident on the necessary scientific and technical development activities directly.
Noting that “Industry University Partnership” is now a globally acclaimed concept, the President said, “Our universities should expand the global communication with the coordination of researchers of both home and abroad to keep them engaged in exploring the new horizon of research and invention.
He thanked the organisers, foreign guests and participants for the auspicious event, saying such the international conference is very important for Bangladesh’s socioeconomic and geo-graphical perspectives.
President Hamid said the incumbent government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina adopted a Delta Plan -2100 considering its beautiful land escape, weather, collection of natural resources and management, climate change-related risks and sustainable infrastructures, population growth and development issues.
Highlighting the government’s ‘Vision 2021’ and ‘Vision-2041’, the President expressed hope that the outcome of the international conference would help materialize the target of the government to build a developed and progress Bangladesh in the days to come.
Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni, lawmakers, Bangladesh University Grants Commission (UGC) Prof Dr Kazi Shahidullah, Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr M Akhtaruzzaman, Conference Secretary Prof Dr M Anower Hossain Bhuiyan, Dean of DU Earth and Environmental Science Faculty Prof Dr ASM Maksud Kamal, senior academics, foreign diplomats, secretaries concerned to the Bangabhaban and senior civil and military officials also took part in the opening ceremony of the ICEEST-2020 there.
