Diplomatic Desk:
Bangladesh National Assembly Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram MP has called on all Asian countries to work together to solve the water crisis, one of the world’s biggest challenges.
Asia National Assembly Water Consultative Board (AAWC) General Secretary Mr. Ha Sang Jae led a high-level South Korean delegation to pay a courtesy call on the Speaker’s office at the National Assembly Building today (June 23, 2026).
The Speaker said that the water problem is so acute that it has become a life-and-death problem for some countries, including Bangladesh. This crisis has become more serious in South Asian countries, especially Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. Bangladesh has been in talks with its neighboring country India since independence to achieve a fair share of water.
AAWC General Secretary Mr. Ha Sang Jey sought the Speaker’s cooperation in addressing the global water crisis by including the members of the Bangladesh National Parliament as members of the AAWC. The Secretary General invited the Speaker to attend the AAWC Annual Conference in Laos in 2026.
The Speaker thanked the leaders of the organization for the efforts that AAWC has been making since 2019 to address water issues through a legal framework. He assured the delegation that the Speaker would recommend the members of the Bangladesh National Parliament to join the legislative process that AAWC has initiated to address water issues by including the members of the national parliaments of Asian countries. The Speaker assured the delegation that Bangladesh will participate in the next AAWC Annual Conference to be held in Laos.
It is noteworthy that AAWC is an inter-parliamentary platform of parliamentarians from various countries in Asia, which works to strengthen legal and policy cooperation on water security, climate change, water management and sustainable development.
Among others, the Ambassador of South Korea, Mr. Kim Ji-jun, and Barrister Md. Golam Sarwar Bhuiyan, Secretary of the National Parliament Secretariat, were present at the event.
