Syeda Rizwana Hassan, Advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Forests, Climate Change and Water Resources, announced that Bangladesh will utilize Turkey’s experience to aid in forest restoration and the development of environmentally friendly eco-tourism. The statement came during a courtesy meeting with Turkish Ambassador Ramis Sen on Tuesday, May 27, in Dhaka.
During the meeting, both parties discussed enhancing bilateral cooperation in environmental conservation, sustainable tourism, and nature-based development projects. Rizwana emphasized the urgent need to restore forests—especially in areas prone to human-elephant conflict—and called for effective, sustainable forest management to address habitat loss and food scarcity affecting wildlife.
The advisor also shared plans to develop eco-tourism destinations in scenic areas like Sylhet, ensuring minimal environmental impact. She stressed the importance of technical assistance for selecting appropriate tree species and implementing tourism initiatives aligned with nature conservation.
Ambassador Sen praised Bangladesh’s commitment to natural resource conservation and stated that the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) is ready to support medium-scale projects in the sector. He also announced the establishment of direct communication between TIKA’s Dhaka office and the advisor’s office to facilitate collaboration and identify potential initiatives.
The meeting concluded with a joint commitment to launch effective and actionable projects in forest restoration and eco-tourism, attended by senior ministry officials and Turkish Deputy Chief of Mission Merve Ozcelik.
