The 32nd meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Environment, Forest and Climate Change Affairs Ministry was held at the Sangsad Bhaban on Thursday.

With the committee’s President Saber Hossain Chowdhury in the chair, Minister for the concerned ministry Md Shahabuddin and Deputy Minister Habibun Nahar, among others, were present at the meeting.

Several issues including expectations and reality from the COP-27 conference, list of owners of hotels, motels, and resorts developed in Saint Martin Island and fix actions regarding the issue, recruitment, promotion, allegation on posting of Directorate of Forest, and System of Environment Accounting (SEEA) including Blue Economy and Poverty Environment Nexus were discussed at the meeting.

The committee recommended the ministry present the names of owners who illegally developed hotels, motels and resorts on Saint Martin Island and visit the spot in person.

Apart from this, instructions were given to take measures to build a mangrove forest in Chakaria upazila of Cox’s Bazar and send a letter to the Khulna deputy commissioner to hand over Sheikh Russell Eco-park to the Forest department.

The committee asked the ministry to take initiative to elect a co-chairman from Bangladesh for the next UN-led climate change summit, COP-28, and carry out publicity campaign in this connection.

A recommendation was also made to assist the statistics and information management division in providing information and data for the overall cooperation of the SEEA project.

Read more: Bangladesh's role in COP27 negotiations highlighted