'Why are young people asking for climate justice in Bangladesh?'

Bangladesh has a long history of successful youth-movement, encompassing social, economic, and political movement. In recent times, climate justice, although a new area, is significantly gaining momentum among young people in Bangladesh, says Nazmul Ahsan, manager of, Young People Programme at ActionAid Bangladesh. 

Through several events and protests, ranging from coastal areas to the capital Dhaka, from communities to educational institutions, young people have been trying to raise their concerns and reach out the policy makers through several events and protests. But why?

Young people have identified climate change as a major instigator for pushing them to live in various kinds of exclusion, discrimination, and deprivation, reads a press release. 

They realized their rights to live in a safe world have been compromised by the big global polluters for years through actions that are detrimental for the climate, but only profitable for them. The brunt of these actions is largely impacting young people living in developing countries, with both their present and future being at risk, said Nazmul Ahsan. 

Photo: Courtesy

In Bangladesh, thousands of young people are forced to migrate to urban informal settlements and live in a precarious state with limited or no access to basic services every year. These marginalized states undermine young people's rights to participation, development, and access to a dignified life. With limited resources at their disposal, investments are mostly made to help them somehow adapt to the marginalized situation and to prepare for more intense and frequent disasters, instead of investments for improving their living standards, livelihoods, and future. As a result, the effect of climate change restricts young people's potential, particularly their human capital. 

As Bangladesh passes through a quick transition of socio-economic progress, it is crucial to tap into the momentum and prospects of progress by investing in young people. We must realize that the youth are not only our future, but also our present. 

However, to do so, the continuous effects of the slow and rapid on-set disasters ensued from climate change needs to be overcome, which is why young people are stepping up to voice their concerns at the national and global level. 

"They are asking the global leaders why should they be affected while the big polluters continue to harm and deny their responsibilities?  They want to know when they will act on the concerns affecting young people. Who should bear the responsibility for emission reduction and where is the end to this self-destruction agenda?" said Nazmul Ahsan.

Young people are trying, but in their efforts, they need more hand. 

They need support from the government to engage in the areas of climate change adaptation, mitigation, and response work to the various climate emergencies. Young people want to see the transition from existing economic practices i.e., power generation and agriculture practices – to a more aligned progressive climate change movements. It is frustrating for them to see the existing national mechanisms fail to address their demand to mitigate the challenges while the country continues to be at-risk and face disasters.   

Addressing climate change also requires international engagements. The era of globalization is not only about the free flow of capital, business, knowledge, and technologies under the neoliberal economic model. It has grave impacts in changing our climate and worsen global warming, breaking all the predicted boundaries. The effects of climate change worldwide show how global and encompassing the crisis is, despite the stark differences in carbon emissions contribution among the countries. The rich and northern countries. who are historically responsible for emitting more greenhouse gases, must acknowledge their role and be accountable for the damage. They need to act with urgency and transparency to deal with the climate crisis.  

"Young people also need civil society organisations to stand by them and amplify their efforts. From ActionAid Bangladesh, we stand in solidarity with their demand. We support their demand that the global north and big corporations should stop emission and practice sensible economic model focusing on people, not profit. We echo with them in their ask from the big polluters to recognize their historic responsibility and develop mechanism to address the issues of loss and damage of the most vulnerable communities. We also ask for responsible actions action from the rich counties and multinational corporations to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energ," he added

In 2022 alone, we worked with the young people in 22 districts in Bangladesh to support them in their fight to ensure climate justice, including in national spaces. More than ten thousand of young people participated. We also supported them to negotiate with the policy makers of Bangladesh for carrying their massage to COP27.  

As the conference continues in Egypt, we hope the young people will not be disappointed one more time.   We hope COP27 will be different in being effective and mindful of the impacted communities from the last 26 years. Until climate justice is ensured, we will continue to stand by the young people in their movements.