The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

The NGOs representing the country's civil society should take a common stand for the Bali climate change conference-2007 and they should harmonize it with the official position to raise a strong, united voice of the Bangladesh's concerns.

"We must develop and a common position paper and make it part of the country paper," said Dr Atiq A Rahman of the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) talking on the issue at a seminar yesterday at Spectra Centre here.

Representatives of various NGOs took part in the seminar and shared views on how to develop the common position and what priorities need to be highlighted in that country paper. The OXFAM-UK in Bangladesh initiated the discussion to facilitate taking common stand by way of creating consensus and building public opinion on priority issues relating to climate change and threatening livelihood of the people.

The move has been taken as a run up to the UN sponsored Bali climate change conference, scheduled to take place early next month in the Indonesian city of Bali.

Director of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) and head of its public advocacy programme Manzur Ahmed and Badrul Haque, an environmental activist were key speakers in the event. Ziaul Haque Mukta and Khalid Hossain of OXFAM were also present.