Mayor Atiqul Islam has announced a scholarship of one crore taka for students residing in areas under the jurisdiction of the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC). He made this announcement at the Policy Dialogue on ‘Challenges and Solutions in Dhaka North Regarding Climate Change’ held at the main office of Dhaka North City Corporation in Gulshan today. The event, organized with the assistance of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), focused on climate change issues at the international level.
At the event, Mayor Atiqul Islam said, “A few days ago, I visited the Karail and Bhashantek slums. As the mayor of this city, I want to say that no slum will be evicted without resettlement.”
He further stated, “Now is the time to develop other areas of Dhaka, including Karail, Bhashantek, and Sat Tala slums. Planning must be made according to the residents’ needs. There will be playgrounds and parks in the slums, along with schools.”
Discussing the issue of climate refugees, Mayor Atiqul Islam mentioned, “We will raise questions at the international forum – who will take responsibility for those affected by cyclones, floods, storms, river erosion, or dam breaks? The responsibility for loss and damage due to the impact of climate change must be taken by the developed world. A database of climate refugees will be created in Dhaka. I request UNDP to work together with Dhaka North City Corporation on this matter.”
The event was attended by Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Bangladesh Sonali Dayaratne, British High Commission’s Climate and Environment Team Leader Alex Harvey, DNCC Chief Executive Officer Selim Reza, Emeritus Professor Nazrul Islam, Entomologist Professor Kabirul Bashar, and architect Salma A Shafi, among others.
