The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh has no homegrown philosophy for the development of the economy, but that is necessary to be invented, said the leaders of the Bangladesh Economics Association (BEA) yesterday.

They also said the association will try to draft an alternative budget before the next national budget.

They said these while they were briefing journalists at their office in the city on the eve of its 16th Biennial Conference 2007 tilled "Participatory Development: External and Internal Challenges" that begins today.

Chief Adviser of the Caretaker Government Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed is expected to inaugurate the four day-long conference.

President of the Association Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad will preside over the inaugural ceremony while Convener of the Conference Convening Committee Professor Dr Ashraf Uddin will deliver welcome speech. This year nine sub-themes were expected to be discussed in the conference.

The themes are trade liberalisation, poverty, agriculture and economy, social infrastructure (education, training and health), economic infrastructure (financial, sector and transport), energy, ICT and telecommunication, local government and regional cooperation.

General Secretary of BEA Prof Dr Abul Barkat told reporters the novelty of the programme this year is awarding Bangladesh Economics Association Gold Medal to seven persons who contributed to economic development of the country by their researches, teaching and other activities.

Seven Gold Medals would be given to Prof Kaiser Hussain, Prof Dr Abul Hussam, Dr AKM Munir, Prof Sanat Kumar Saha, late Prof Mohammad Yunus, Prof Sekandar Khan and Media Personality Mahfuz Anam.

Prof Dr Abul Barkat said Bangladesh had no homegrown economic development philosophy, which was considered as prerequisite of the development of a nation. Homegrown philosophy was essential to be invented for the development of our economy, he added.

Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman said his association is assessing the education system of economics in the country and it would establish a school of economics that would be supervised by the association.