Dhaka, May 20 -- State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shaikh Faridul Islam on Wednesday said the government is committed to protecting biodiversity, nature and addressing the risks posed by climate change.

"Our government is very sincere about protecting biodiversity, nature and tackling climate change risks. We have been working on these issues from the very beginning. Even before forming the government, these priorities were included in the election manifesto," he said.

The state minister made the remarks while speaking at a workshop as part of "Conservation and Restoration Initiatives in the Sundarbans Region (CRIS) Project" at a hotel in the capital in the morning.

He said the government's canal excavation prog...