Dalian (China), June 23, 2026 — Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has called for coordinated international initiatives led by the World Economic Forum (WEF) to support Bangladesh and other delta nations, as well as countries highly vulnerable to rising sea levels and climate change impacts. Report BSS
The Prime Minister made the remarks during a courtesy meeting with World Economic Forum President and Chief Executive Officer Alois Zwinggi at the Dalian International Conference Center in China on Tuesday at 5:00 pm local time.
At the beginning of the meeting, Alois Zwinggi congratulated the Prime Minister on assuming office as head of government.
During the discussions, the Prime Minister appreciated various initiatives undertaken by the World Economic Forum to address climate change and stressed the need for a more coordinated global framework to support climate-vulnerable countries.
He highlighted Bangladesh’s ongoing efforts to strengthen environmental protection and climate resilience, noting that the country is implementing an ambitious plan to plant 250 million trees over the next five years.
He also outlined government initiatives to restore water flow and reduce flood risks through the re-excavation of approximately 20,000 kilometers of rivers and canals, aimed at improving environmental sustainability and climate resilience.
On renewable energy, the Prime Minister said the government has introduced tax incentives to promote solar power generation and has set a target to generate 20 percent of total electricity demand from renewable sources by 2030.
WEF President Alois Zwinggi expressed interest in leveraging the Prime Minister’s experience and initiatives on climate change at the global level.
He said Bangladesh’s climate resilience efforts and sustainable development initiatives are likely to attract interest from international financing institutions and investors.
Zwinggi assured that the issues raised by Bangladesh would be given due consideration and reaffirmed the World Economic Forum’s continued support for collaborative global efforts.
He also invited the Prime Minister to attend the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
Senior officials present at the meeting included Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman, Foreign Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister Humayun Kabir, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Executive Chairman Ashik Chowdhury, and Additional Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Atikur Rahman Ruman.
