Speaker calls for united efforts from Asian countries to address water crisis

Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Hafiz Uddin Ahmad today (23 June)
called upon all Asian countries to work together to tackle the growing global
water crisis, describing it as one of the most pressing challenges facing the
world.
The speaker made the call when a high-level South Korean
delegation, led by Ha Sang Je, Secretary General of the Asia National Assembly
Water Consultative Board (AAWC), paid a courtesy call on him at his office in
the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.
"The water crisis has become so severe that for some
countries, including Bangladesh, it has emerged as a matter of life and
death," the speaker said.
He noted that the crisis has become particularly acute in South
Asian countries such as Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.
Referring to transboundary water-sharing issues, he said
Bangladesh has been continuing discussions with neighboring India since its
independence to secure its fair share of water resources, said a press release.
During the meeting, AAWC Secretary General Ha Sang Je sought the
speaker's support in engaging members of the Bangladesh Parliament with the
organization's initiatives aimed at addressing the global water crisis.
He also invited the speaker to attend the AAWC annual conference
scheduled to be held in Laos in 2026.
The speaker appreciated AAWC's efforts since 2019 to address
water-related challenges through a legal and institutional framework.
He praised the organization for launching legislative initiatives
involving parliamentarians from across Asia to strengthen cooperation on water
management issues.
He assured the delegation that he would recommend the
participation of Bangladeshi lawmakers in AAWC's activities and expressed
confidence that Bangladesh would take part in the organization's upcoming
annual conference in Laos.
AAWC is an inter-parliamentary platform comprising lawmakers from
various Asian countries. The organization works to strengthen legislative and
policy cooperation on water security, climate change, water resource management
and sustainable development.
South Korean Ambassador Kim Ji-jun and Secretary of the Bangladesh
Parliament Secretariat Barrister Md. Golam Sarwar Bhuiyan, among others, were
present at the meeting.
















