Bangladesh is pursuing low-carbon green development: Environment minister

Forest and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin said Bangladesh is pursuing low-carbon green development in its journey towards sustainable development.

Bangladesh has installed more than 6 million Solar Home Systems in off-grid areas, ensuring clean electricity for 12 percent of the population, the minister said when Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Bangladesh Essa Youssef Essa Al Duhailan called on him at the latter's office at secretariat in Dhaka on Monday.

Now, Bangladesh is giving further emphasis on large-scale solar projects, he added. 

The country has already installed 10 large-scale solar parks, 28 solar mini-grids, 2881 solar irrigation pumps, 1952 net metered rooftop solar systems, and 82 solar-powered drinking systems, he said.

The environment minister said that the government has imposed a radical new 'green tax' in the form of an 'Environment Protection Surcharge' to force the industries which pollute the environment to pay extra levies as the government looks to clean up the country's increasingly polluted air and water bodies.

The government has also imposed a 'carbon tax' on multiple car owners in its fiscal year 2023-2024, aimed at reducing carbon emissions and promoting public transportation use and electric vehicles in the country.

The minister expressed hope that the relations between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia will be strengthened in the future through business, trade, cultural exchanges, education, environment and tourism.

The both sides discussed different issues including Green transformation, technology transfer, assistance in NAP implementation and environmental protection in Bangladesh.

Secretary to the ministry Dr Farhina Ahmed, Additional Secretary (Admin) Iqbal Abdullah Harun, Additional Secretary (Environment and Climate Change) Sanjay Kumar Bhowmik and Joint Secretary (Environment) Mohammad Abdul Wadud Chowdhury were present in the meeting.