The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a seminar yesterday called upon the government to control the markets considering purchasing power of the poor people in the country.

They demanded of the government to set up a number of the wholesale markets on all entrances of the Dhaka city to keep the price hike of daily essential commodities under the purchasing power of the general people.

Citizens Rights Movement organised the seminar on price hike of agricultural products and consuming goods at the National Press Club in the city yesterday.

Tusar Rehman, Secretary of the movement presented the keynote paper in the seminar while captain (retd) Alfaz presided over it

They said the government should not take the suggestions of the World Bank and IMF, as Argentina faced a big crisis for taking their suggestions. Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, President of Bangladesh Economics Association, said the government of other countries have controlling system on their free market economy but the government of Bangladesh has no control on its free market economy.

The government should create production-based employments in the country, he added. Criticising the politicians Journalist Hazi Md Saifuddin Ahmed, General Secretary of BTDPIA and Shyampur Kadamtali Industry Owners Association, among others, spoke on the occasion.

Lt Gen (Retd) Mahbubur Rahman said, "Despite passing 36 years of independence, the countrymen could not achieve economic emancipation. If we want to improve this situation, we will have to develop industries. Without industry economic emancipation can not be achieved."

Jute mills of the country have already shut down. Then sugar mills will be closed down. For this reason, we should not be dependent on foreign management for establishing ETP, he added.

Badrul Haque Maksud said, "If we get technical support and time, we can establish ETP."

Lt Col (Retd) Anwar Hossain said, the country's tools factory will be able to establish ETP using our local machineries.