Prime minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday sought $2 billion fund from development partners to meet the Bangladesh’s immediate energy needs and safeguard its economic stability.
‘The situation before us demands urgency, solidarity, and decisive action. Immediate support for the most vulnerable countries must be at the top of our collective agenda,’ he told the Asia Zero Emission Community Plus Online Summit.
‘We urge the intentional community to respond swiftly and positively to this call,’ he said.
Tarique said the ongoing global energy crisis is a stark reminder of their shared vulnerability and interdependence. No nation- regardless of its size or strength- can overcome this challenge in isolation, he said, adding that it demands a coordinated and forward-looking Asian response, to strengthen regional energy security, address immediate supply disruptions, and support the most vulnerable countries.
He said the energy crisis has already disrupted Bangladesh’s economy. ‘In response, we have taken a range of short-term measures to contain the impact.’
He said the measures include demand-side management through the rationing of government office and market hours; stabilisation fuel supplies through emergency imports and diversification of sourcing and consumption controls, including fuel rationing and limits on retail sales to prevent hoarding and panic buying through initiatives such as ‘Fuel App’.
The prime minister said Bangladesh is concerned that the scale and consequences of this crisis could exceed those of the 1970’s oil shock, which triggered a decade of stalled development in the 1980s.
Since gaining independence in 1971, he said, Bangladesh has worked relentlessly to drive economic growth, lift millions of out poverty, and improve the quality of life for its people. ‘Today, these hard-own gains are in danger, facing the real threat of reversal.’
Tarique said Bangladesh is not alone in facing this risk, ‘nor can we overcome it through national effort alone’. This moment calls for a decisive and co-ordinated global action, to contain the impact of the ongoing energy crisis, particularly to protect vulnerable countries, including the Least Developed Countries, from its severe economic and social impact.
He appreciated Japanese prime minister Sanae Tkichi for convening this timely and important Summit.
Malaysia prime minister Anwar Ibrahim and heads of the government and states of Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Timor Leste and representatives of different countries took part in the online summit.
Japanese prime minister Sanae Tkichi delivered concluding remarks at the meeting.
While Tarique delivered his speech at the summit from his Sangshad Bhaban office in the afternoon, foreign minister Khalilur Rahman and foreign affairs adviser M Humayun Kabir were present.
