Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

ministry · verified (verified 2026-05-17)

Profile

Head: Abdul Awal Mintoo
Role: Minister
Annual budget: ৳21,440,000,000
Staff: —
Established: 1989
Legal basis: Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, 1995 (Act No. 1 of 1995); Forest Act, 1927; Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Act, 2010; Rules of Business 1996

Executing the 250-million-tree afforestation programme, legislating forest industry and wildlife frameworks through two new bills, and positioning Bangladesh as a climate finance demandeur at COP31 via bilateral diplomacy with Germany, Turkey, the UK, and multilateral partners.

Recent activity

2026-02-17 appointment Abdul Awal Mintoo (BNP Vice Chairman, Feni-3 MP) sworn in as Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in PM Tarique Rahman's 49-member cabinet. ↗↗
2026-03-11 policy Minister Mintoo announced the government's 250-million-tree (25 crore) plantation programme to be executed over five years, in line with PM Tarique Rahman's electoral manifesto; includes forest restoration, mangrove afforestation in coastal chars, roadside and institutional planting, and a Tree Monitoring App. ↗↗
2026-04-07 international High-level delegation from the German Bundestag Environment Committee (led by Michael Thews) met Mintoo; discussed Bangladesh Climate Development Partnership (BCDP), climate finance, carbon market access, and Sundarbans biodiversity. Delegation visited Savar, Khulna, Sundarbans, and Satkhira (April 7-12). ↗↗
2026-04-10 legal Jatiya Sangsad passed the Bangladesh Forest Industries Development Corporation Bill, 2026 and the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Bill, 2026 unanimously; both placed by Minister Mintoo, converting interim-government ordinances into statute law. ↗↗
2026-04-13 policy Minister Mintoo held exchange-of-views meeting with Forest Department officials; directed acceleration of coastal and char-area plantation under the 25-crore-tree mandate and aligned Forest Department targets with the programme timeline. ↗
2026-05-08 international Minister Mintoo represented Bangladesh at Turkey's 'Road to COP31: Resilient Cities' conference in Antalya (May 8-9); called for stronger climate financing for vulnerable nations (Bangladesh contributes 0.35% of global emissions), held bilateral with Turkish Environment Minister Murat Kurum on COP31 agenda and proposed 'Hatay Declaration'. ↗↗
2026-05-12 international British Deputy High Commissioner James Goldman paid courtesy call on Mintoo; discussed UK-Bangladesh cooperation on pollution control, carbon credit mechanisms, climate finance, biodiversity conservation, and Sundarbans protection. ↗↗

Provenance & notes

Ministry established 1989 as Ministry of Environment and Forest; current name reflecting climate change mandate was adopted post-2009 BCCSAP. Budget stored as 21440000000 = Tk 2,144 crore in BDT (FY2025-26 proposed allocation, BSS-sourced). Head-since date is February 17, 2026 -- sworn in with full Tarique Rahman cabinet. Mintoo was elected Feni-3 MP by 1,57,425 votes in the January 2026 13th Jatiya Sangsad election. The 25-crore (250 million) tree figure is identical: 25 crore = 250 million. Two bills passed April 10, 2026 by Jatiya Sangsad: Bangladesh Forest Industries Development Corporation Bill and Wildlife Conservation and Protection Bill -- both placed by Mintoo. Turkish summit: Antalya, May 8-9, 2026. British DHC: James Goldman, May 12, 2026. German Bundestag: Michael Thews-led delegation, April 7-12, 2026. All key facts cross-checked against 2+ primary sources (BSS + at least one independent outlet per event).

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

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