Bangladesh’s foreign policy must reflect national interest
Engaging in diplomatic communication on an equal footing and ensuring concrete return from foreign relations have been a challenge for Bangladesh, says Professor Akmal Hussain, a former teacher of the international relations department at the University of Dhaka, in an interview with Shahidul Islam Chowdhury.
Akmal Hussain: The Article 25 of the constitution stipulates Bangladesh’s foreign policy. ‘Friendship to all, malice towards none’ is a saying used by the founding president of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. It is theoretically possible as it means Bangladesh is a peace loving country. In practice, Bangladesh has never been a neutral country. In 2016, a summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, initiated by Bangladesh, was postponed at the insistence of India due to their warlike situation with Pakistan. Bangladesh followed India. Was it an independent decision by Bangladesh? No. On the Palestine issue, Bangladesh’s policy is to not recognise Israel. Should we claim that we are neutral and maintain friendship ‘to all?’ ‘Friendship to all, malice towards none’ is, in fact, a misnomer. It is unrealistic. We may say we are a peace-loving country. We do not want conflict and war with any country. The Bangladesh military is not for militarily adventurism.
India targets net-zero carbon emissions by 2070, says Modi
India’s economy will become carbon neutral by the year 2070, the country’s prime minster has announced at the COP26 climate crisis summit in Glasgow. The target date is two decades beyond what scientists say is needed to avert catastrophic climate impacts. India is the last of the world’s major carbon polluters to announce a net-zero target, with China saying it would reach that goal in 2060, and the United States and the European Union aiming for 2050.
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China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
Why China's climate policy matters to us all
China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
Deliver on promises, developing world tells rich at climate talks
A crucial U.N. conference heard calls on its first day for the world's major economies to keep their promises of financial help to address the climate crisis, while big polluters India and Brazil made new commitments to cut emissions. World leaders, environmental experts and activists all pleaded for decisive action to halt the global warming which threatens the future of the planet at the start of the two-week COP26 summit in the Scottish city of Glasgow on Monday. The task facing negotiators was made even more daunting by the failure of the Group of 20 major industrial nations to agree ambitious new commitments at the weekend.