Rushanara Ali arrives today

1 October 2011, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

A British parliamentarian of Bangladeshi descent, Rushanara Ali, arrives in Dhaka today on a week's visit to talk about climate change impacts on Bangladeshi communities. She said in a press release issued by herself ahead of the visit that millions of people in coastal Bangladesh have been affected due to weather extremes in recent years. It is vital to highlight the impending dangers on Bangladeshis ahead of Durban climate summit in December to ensure progress towards providing support to these communities in disaster preparedness, she said. Rushanara attended a climate tribunal in Dhaka last year and heard people's testimonies on the effects of climate change. A press release of Oxfam, the organisation that invited the British MP to Bangladesh, said she will be accorded a reception dinner tomorrow and will take part in a climate dialogue, "Expectations from Durban: UK and Bangladesh perspectives", the following day. Rushanara is expected to join a meeting to mark the 40th anniversary of publication "Testimony of Sixty" at the Liberation War Museum on October 5. Planning Minister Air Vice Marshal (retd) AK Khondker will attend it as the chief guest.