Civil society organizations call for cancellation of Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan, reform of Climate Change Trust Act

A coalition of 39 civil society organizations under the banner of Climate Justice Alliance-Bangladesh today (7 September) called for the cancellation of the Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan (MCPP) 2022-2041, which they said was formulated in an undemocratic process and designed solely to implement the political ambitions of the then government.

They also demanded radical reform of the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF) and the Climate Change Trust Act, 2010 to prevent syndicated corruption in funding decisions and implementation.

The alliance made the demands in a press conference at the Zahur Hossain Chowdhury Auditorium of the National Press Club in Dhaka.

The alliance, which often raises critical concerns for a rights-based policy response to the impacts of climate change, appreciates the intent of the current interim government on the structural reform that would ensure justice and equitable development across all sections of society.

Aligning with the broader reform agenda, the alliance emphasized urgency for revision, extension, and reform of the existing climate plans and policies to ensure they are just and equitable. It questioned undemocratic practices in the planning process dominated by ‘syndicated interest’ of the political government, its allied bureaucrats, and elite consultants. It termed the existing plans and policies undemocratic and demanded immediate shutting down of all the avenues of corruption in their implementation.

Md Shamsudohha, coordinator of Climate Justice Alliance-Bangladesh, provided a brief overview of the political economy context of the development of the country’s key climate plans, which include Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan (MCPP) 2022-2041, National Adaptation Plan (NAP) 2023 -2050, Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) up to 2030, etc.

He also provided an explanation of how Bangladesh’s Climate Change Trust Fund, resourced from the country’s income, turned to a worst example of political domination and syndicated corruption supported by the immunity of the Climate Change Trust Act.

Prof Ahmed Kamruzzaman Mazumder of Stamford University, Md Nasir Uddin Faruk, deputy executive director of Shushilan, and Tamanna Rahman, thematic lead of climate and resilience at Practical Action, also spoke at the event among others.