Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter spoke at a press conference at the Bangladesh Pavilion in the Blue Zone of the UN Climate Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, on Saturday (BST Sunday). Photo : BSS

DHAKA, Nov 16, 2025 (BSS) - Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter has said rich countries must act with greater responsibility in fulfilling the commitments made under the Paris Climate Agreement.

Climate finance should not be treated as charity or loans, but must be provided in the form of grants, she added.

The adviser made the remarks while speaking at a press conference at the Bangladesh Pavilion in the Blue Zone of the UN Climate Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, on Saturday (BST Sunday), said a PID handout today.
 
She noted that there exists an unequal tussle between those responsible for climate change and those suffering its consequences. “When we represent Bangladesh or other vulnerable countries here, we can feel this disparity more clearly,” she added.

Mentioning that youth participation in the climate conference has increased significantly, Farida said that their presence, speeches, and the questions they raised at various side events have added a new dimension to climate discussions. “The future climate leadership will be shaped by them, so their active engagement is extremely important,” she said.

The adviser also called for addressing the gender-related challenges in climate policy and increasing women’s participation, saying that climate change disproportionately affects women. 

She emphasized that in the future, the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs should actively participate in UN climate conferences to tackle this issue.

The adviser further said that changes in river patterns, loss of habitats, and climate-induced pressures are putting the country’s national fish, hilsa, at risk, threatening the livelihoods of fishers. “Global cooperation is essential to protect this resource,” she added.

Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Mohammad Navid Shafiullah, Additional Secretary of the Economic Relations Division AKM Sohel, Additional Director General of the Department of Environment Ziaul Haque, Director Mirza Shawkat Ali, and Founder and Director of the Center for Climate Justice Bangladesh M Hafizul Islam Khan were also present.