The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a seminar suggested for a common passport, currency and parliament in the South Asian region for a smoother development process for the millions of people and the regional stability, prosperous and peace.

Referring to the different political and socio-economical obstacles of the region, they emphasised the need for taking proper initiatives to strengthen the local government, ensuring people empowerment especially for the women class ,which can significantly change the situation.

Speakers at a seminar on 'Social Exclusion in South Asia and Imagine a New South Asia (INSA) Process' organised by Bangladesh Unnayan Parishad(BUP) in association with Action Aid , Bangladesh at National Press Club yesterday made this observation.

Eminent educationist Prof M Anisuzzaman moderated the seminar while economist Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, Chairman, BUP presented a keynote paper.

Former BTV official Nawazesh Ali Khan, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal leader Shirin Sultana ,women leader Rokeya Kabir, NGO activists Rashed Al Mahmud and Abdul Karim, among others, took part at the discussion.

While presenting the paper Dr Kholiquzzaman said, inequality, poverty and deprivation are concomitants of social exclusion in the region

The socially excluded are constrained from all direction such as human capability, accesses to resources, access to institution, participation in social-political process, and so on he stated. Referring to the various difficulties he said, the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets of halving the proportion poor and number hungry by 2015 compared to 1990 is sure to remain unfulfilled to a significant extend in South Asia.

''The elites exploit all the non-elites to different extends and in different ways and each hierarchical group also trends to exploit those below them in various ways and to different degrees in the South Asian region,'' Kholiquzzaman said.