Young climate activists on Friday held global climate across 25 districts of the country with the participation of school, college, and university students, carried banners, festoons, and placards highlighting the climate crisis.
As part of the event, Bangladeshi youth activists also held a rally in front of the National Press Club in the capital on March 25, dressed in all black to signify fossil fuel impacts.
“Fridays for Future Bangladesh”, the Bangladesh arm of an international climate movement and “Youthnet for Climate Justice”, an organisation that promotes climate action, organised the strike.
The global climate strike is organised yearly by the worldwide school student movement “Fridays for the Future” to reduce global carbon emissions and claim compensation from historically responsible nations. The youth voiced solidarity with the call as part of the global climate strike on the streets and online in thousands of cities globally.
In Bangladesh, the strike was observed simultaneously in Dhaka, Gopalganj, Shariatpur, Madaripur, Tangail, Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Feni, Noakhali, Bandarban, Barisal, Jhalokati, Bhola, Patuakhali, Barguna, Sylhet, Habiganj, Moulvibazar, Khulna, Satkhira, Jashore, Bagerhat, Narail, Mymensingh, Netrokona, Gaibandha.
"Even after committing to put an end to overseas coal finance, Japan is considering financing Matarbari coal power project phase 2. They should stop funding coal and keep their promise. We demand increasing the share of renewable energy in Bangladesh, not coal, not other fossil fuels,” said Youthnet for Climate Justice Executive Coordinator Sohanur Rahman.
“We demand justice and a sense of responsibility instead of sympathy or compensation. Accelerating climate activities, adaptation or resilience-building may seem difficult, but it is vital,” he added.
Youths at the strike urged the developed countries and international banks and other financiers to stop investing in fossil fuel-dependent electricity generation to lower carbon emissions. These nations and corporations have long been provided false commitments to lowering carbon emissions, according to the activists.
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