Cabinet hails PM for winning Champions of Earth Award : It also greets ex-Justices for being PCA members

The Cabinet on Monday adopted two separate thanksgiving motions, one greeting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for being named as a winner of ‘Champions of the Earth Award’ for her government’s role in addressing climate change in Bangladesh.

The Cabinet adopted another thanksgiving motion greeting former Chief Justice Md Tafazzul Islam and former judge of the High Court Justice Md Awlad Ali as they were appointed members of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, Netherlands for resolving international disputes.

This is the first time Bangladeshi judges are going to be included in this prestigious institution, UNB reports.

The thanksgiving motions were adopted at the regular weekly meeting of the Cabinet held at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said the Cabinet noted that this ‘Champions of the Earth Award’ is the result of PM’s farsighted and successful leadership.

He said the Cabinet also opined that with the adoption and implementation of the timely steps and proper programmes by Sheikh Hasina’s government, Bangladesh has been able to gain spectacular success and achievements in addressing climate change despite being a risk-prone country to climate change impacts.

Besides, Bangladesh had earlier started programmes to tackle the climate change impacts with its own resources which are the reflection of the statesmanship wisdom of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The Cabinet at the thanksgiving motion also noted that the Climate Change Trust Fund in Bangladesh would remain as a replicable example to other countries.

In another thanksgiving motion, the Cabinet said the appointment of two judges at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (CCA) in The Hague is the reflection of the country’s credibility and reputation.

The motion cited that these appointments have been possible following Bangladesh’s growing reputation and credibility at international stage under the able leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The Cabinet also thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and two judges for this achievement.

Earlier on September 14, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was announced as one of the winners of the United Nations’ highest environmental accolade, in recognition of Bangladesh’s far-reaching initiatives to address climate change.

The Champions of the Earth award in the Policy Leadership category, which the Prime Minister will accept at a ceremony in New York 27 September 2015, recognises Bangladesh’s first-off-the-block initiatives under Prime Minister Hasina’s government to prepare the ecologically fragile country for the challenges it faces from climate change.