Rich nations guilty

Concludes shadow climate tribunal after hearing

Suraiya Vanu of South Tentulia village, Badarkhali, Barguna suddenly started wailing, "Oh, Hanif! My son Hanif!" as she was describing her woes since her only son died during fishing in the Bay in 1991.
She was testifying about her sufferings before the shadow "Climate Tribunal" staged at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre yesterday.
Hearing complaints of the litigants a five-member jury panel of the shadow tribunal held responsible the developed countries for emitting greenhouse gases and causing sufferings to the coastal people in Bangladesh.
Dr Mizanur Rahman, chairman of the Human Rights Commission, conducted the court as the head of the jury panel. He said in the verdict: "The court finds the developed countries as guilty. Death of people is absolutely intolerable for your development and civilisation. The coastal people of Bangladesh are holding you responsible and demanding compensation."
When the court formally started, the story of Suraiya Vanu touched everybody as the tribunal first heard the petitioners about their complaints against natural calamities. There was pindrop silence at the hall room and tears were seen in the eyes of many in the audience.
They had to start working again in their old age since the only bread earner of the family died, Suraiya continued. But most of the time her husband Kamez Haolader, 62, remains sick and she alone has to work as domestic help to manage their meals, she added.
"We often have to starve. Other times we can manage only plain rice with no curry. Vegetables and other items are really expensive nowadays," she lamented.
"We cannot even think of buying medicines though my husband needs it most," Suraiya broke into tears as she continued narrating their plight.
Three other litigants from Barguna -- Siddiqur Rahman, Bareq Dafadar and Momtaz Begum -- also described how the Bay has been changing its character and how devastating cyclones frequently rip through the coast nowadays.
Rahman and Dafadar had narrowly escaped death as they were washed away by a cyclone and were rescued from the Bay by an Indian ship after three days. Momtaz said her husband went to the Bay one day to return never again.
The petitioners also filed with the tribunal statement of their vulnerability and sufferings caused by climate change.
The tribunal said the climate change issue is related to the human rights and urged the Bangladesh government to include a section about it in the Constitution.
Climate change expert Dr Ahsanuddin Ahmed explained the scientific aspects of the effects of climate change and how and why cyclones get intensified in the Bay.
"The temperature of the upper level of the sea has increased by 0.45 degrees over the last few decades causing more and more cyclones in the Bay," he said.
"Once there were only four to five cyclones in the Bay from June to November. But the number has increased to at least 12 in the last four years. The Bay has already seen 15 cyclones this year," he said.
Hearing the submission of the litigants, the jury panel said the developed countries have to bear the responsibilities of the sufferings they have caused for millions of people.
The judgment came from a jury panel that also includes economist Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad and lawmakers Hasanul Haq Inu, Saber Hossain Chowdhury and Advocate Tarana Halim.
Bangladesh-born British MP Rushnara Ali, Richard Lord, counsellor of Quince, economist Peter Custers, Bangladesh coordinator of European Action on Climate Change Ansar Ahmed Ullah, among others, observed the session.
Dr Ahmed Zia Uddin, president of the Centre for Bangladesh Genocide, Belgium, spoke about the legal features of the climate change issue.
Dr Mizanur Rahman in the judgment said the countries responsible for emitting the highest amount of carbon would have to compensate the victims in Bangladesh.
He said people of various professions including fishermen in the coast have fallen victims to climate change and should be properly compensated for the loss of their livelihoods.
The jury panel mentioned that human rights to the coastal people are massively violated due to climate change and all victims could demand compensation.
Dr Mizanur Rahman added Bangladesh should put emphasis on climate change issue and include at least a section in the Constitution in this regard. The government would have to gradually formulate a complete law over the matter, he observed.
The jury also called upon all concerned to install an international tribunal so that various complaints on climate change raised by the developing countries could be resolved.
Delivering his observations, Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said emissions of greenhouse gases would have to be mitigated in line with providing financial compensation by the countries responsible.
He said a concerted pro-people effort should be taken by the government to face the effects of climate change in Bangladesh.