The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

An international workshop will be held in Dhaka today on the relative merits of food and cash transfers in alleviating extreme poverty in the country.

In an effort to examine the efficacy of food and cash transfers in enhancing food security and livelihood of the ultra- poor in rural Bangladesh, the World Food Programme (WFP) commissioned the Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) to conduct the study. The workshop will disseminate major findings of the study.

The day-long workshop titled "Dynamics of food and cash transfers: policy discussion on results of the food and cash efficacy study" will be held at Hotel Sheraton.

The WFP in collaboration with the government and the DFID has organised the workshop.

Announcing the programme on sSunday, DFID Extreme Poverty Coor-dinator Penny Davies commented that Bangladesh has progressed. Now is an opportune moment for the country to review its approach to the safety net programme.

High-level representatives from headquarters of WFP and IFPRI, development partners, donor agencies, GoB and NGO officials, including eminent and foreign researchers, will take part in the workshop.