Introduction of visa-free travelling

The Equity and Justice Working Group, an alliance of the NGOs, demanded introduction of a visa-free travelling in the SAARC region to allow the people of this area to work in whichever county they prefer, to offset the debt of climate change. They demanded it, on Sunday, observing that countries like Bangladesh were the worst victims of climate change which was substantively the result of greenhouse gas emissions by the developed countries like India. ‘According to a report of the World Bank, around two crore and 20 lakh Bangladeshis will become homeless within the next 40 years because of climate change for which they are not responsible. So these people should be allowed to work in the neighbouring developed countries,’ Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, convener of the Group, told a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity. ‘The group thinks this huge number of people who are in no way responsible for the climate change should be allowed to work in the developed countries which are emitting carbon dioxide,’ he said, adding, ‘victims of this area should be given the work permit by their neighbouring countries as Australia has given the people of Papua New Guinea.’ Referring to the SAARC ministerial meeting on climate change held recently in Dhaka, Chowdhury said, ‘The SAARC ministerial meeting lacked the analysis of root causes of the climate change and did not formulate any effective plan to prevent the impact of climate change.’ The organisation put forward a five-point charter of demands to be discussed in the People’s SAARC scheduled to be held from July 18 to 20 in Colombo. The charter includes amendment to the SAARC charters so that bilateral talks can be held, ensuring free flow of rivers, ratification of the SAARC Food Bank by all member countries, mitigation of the environmental debts of the countries and establishing a SAARC Development Fund. The Group asked the SAARC leaders to raise their voice against formation of a separate Climate Fund by the WB in contravention of the Bali Declaration. Among others, Bazlur Rahman, Shahadat Islam Chowdhury, M Kamal Hossain and Sarmin Islam Daizy and members of the organisation were present on the occasion.