Young climate activists gathered in the capital on Friday calling for an urgent revision of the country鈥檚 Integrated Energy and Power Master Plan.
About 200 of them gathered as part of the Global Climate Strike under the banner of YouthNet Global in front of the National Press Club, said a press release.
Their demands included just transition to renewable energy and a greater share of international climate finance for Bangladesh. Similar events were reported in 50 districts across the country, involving students from schools, colleges, and universities.
The demonstrators held placards with messages such as 鈥楾ime to move away from fossil fuels鈥�, 鈥榃e demand renewable energy鈥�, 鈥楧on鈥檛 sell our future,鈥� warning that the IEPMP could deepen the country鈥檚 dependence on expensive and polluting fossil fuel imports.
The activists at the rally collectively called upon multinational banks and institutions to stop investments in fossil fuels.
Expressing solidarity with the youth movement, Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem, the research director at the Centre for Policy Dialogue, strongly criticised the IEPMP, describing it as a continuation of the previous government鈥檚 flawed planning.
鈥楾his plan set unrealistic forecasts for electricity demand, thereby serving the interests of influential groups involved in the fossil fuel business,鈥� he said.
