While pavilions from around the world bustle with discussions and events at the COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil, Bangladesh’s pavilion remains conspicuously empty and unused, awaiting a formal inauguration by an absent senior bureaucrat.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change reportedly spent several million taka to set up the pavilion, but no events have been allowed since the conference opened on November 10. Officials say it will only be inaugurated by Mohammad Navid Saifullah, Additional Secretary (Climate Change Wing), who has yet to arrive at the venue.
Even though dozens of countries have hosted back-to-back events since the opening day, many featuring Civil Society Networks (CSOs), youth networks, experts and civil society groups, the Bangladesh pavilion has stayed closed to all activities.
“Our Additional Secretary sir will come; he will officially inaugurate the pavilion, then the programme will start,” said Mirza Shakhar Ali, Director of International Convention, Department of Environment one of the Bangladesh leading delegates when asked by The Climate Watch why the venue remained unused.
Organizers of a scheduled youth event titled “Local to Global: Youth Inclusion in the Loss and Damage Framework” jointly arranged by Daffodil University, two youth organisations YOUNGO and YOUCAN for Wednesday, said they were asked to cancel their confirmed session because of the pending inauguration.
“We got confirmation through official mail before coming to COP30,” said moderator Jasmina Sabatina. “Now the authorities are requesting us to cancel the programme on November 12.”
The organizers, who invited several international experts including Harjeet Singh, Global Engagement Director of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, said they were left embarrassed. “I was invited to speak at the Bangladesh pavilion, but the event was cancelled because it hasn’t been inaugurated,” Singh confirmed.
On-site observation over the last two days found the Bangladesh pavilion largely deserted, with no events listed in the official COP30 calendar until November 13. Despite repeated appeals, youth organizers were seen in tears outside the pavilion after being turned away by officials, including Ziaul Haque, Additional Director General at the Department of Environment.
“They can arrange it on another day,” Haque was overheard telling an organizer, who replied that rescheduling would be impossible due to her international guests’ tight schedules.
However, Mohammad Navid Saifullah, the Additional Secretary responsible for leading the Bangladesh delegation denying the allegation said, “It is absolutely a wrong information. I have not instructed any of my team members to withhold or cancel any event till my arrival.”
However, Dr. Farhina Ahmed, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change told “We had some last-minute changes in the Bangladesh delegation. The Hon’ble Adviser and I could not join COP30 due to pressing national priorities. A new Head of Delegation and leadership team will be arriving soon to continue our planned activities.”
“We remain confident that everything will proceed as per our original plan. Your continued cooperation, feedback and suggestions are always welcome,” she added.
According to officials familiar with the delegation’s arrangements, each delegate’s travel to COP30 costs between Tk 4 to 7 lakh in airfare alone, plus substantial accommodation and logistical expenses. The pavilion itself reportedly cost several million taka to design and build. However, they kept the issue of spending hiding.
When asked Mirza Shawkat Ali, Dr. Farhina Ahmed, Mohammad Navid Saifullah, how much spent Bangladesh for the pavilion they don’t disclose. While Dharitri Kumar Sarkar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change did not answer the question.
However, Bangladesh’s presence at key negotiations appears minimal. On Tuesday, the plenary sessions of CMP (meeting of the parties to the Kyoto protocol), CMA (Meeting of the parties to the Paris Argeement), SBI (the subsidiary body for implementation) and SBSTA (Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice) saw no Bangladeshi delegates in attendance, with the country’s seat visibly empty.
Even during the Gender Action Plan discussions, Roslina Parvin, the designated focal point from the environment ministry, was absent despite being in Belém.
Bangladesh did not attend an important joint plenary session at COP30 where Manjeet Dhakal, Adviser to the Least Developed Countries (LDC) Group and a Nepali climate expert, delivered a statement on behalf of Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal.
The address called for urgent global action to safeguard the planet, strengthen regional cooperation, and protect vulnerable communities. Ironically, while Bangladesh has repeatedly emphasized the need for stronger regional coordination, its representatives were absent from such key discussions despite being formally invited. For instance, during a regional event titled “Regional Climate Diplomacy: A Way Forward for the Air Pollution Problem” held at the Pakistan Pavilion, Ziaul Haque, Additional Director of the Department of Environment, was scheduled to participate and even featured on the event banner. However, his seat remained empty as he failed to attend.
In contrast, delegates Ziaul Haque, Professor Mizan R. Khan and Professor Dr. AKM Saiful Islam attended the LDC coordination meeting later in the day. In the last two-day only a coordination meeting was held on Teusady evening at Bangladesh pavilion, many did not join being in Belem.
Observers, CSOs and youth participants expressed frustration that while Bangladesh spends heavily on its pavilion and delegation logistics, it fails to ensure meaningful participation.
“This pavilion should have been a space to showcase Bangladesh’s leadership in adaptation and resilience,” said one young delegate request to be unnamed. “Instead, it’s become a symbol of bureaucratic rigidity.”
As of Tuesday evening, the pavilion remained waiting for its absent chief guest, while the rest of the world moved on with the urgent business of saving the planet.
Even Farida Akhter, Honorable Adviser to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock is supposed to be arrive in Wednesday, however this year Chief Adviser and Environment Adviser will not join in COP.
