The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Adviser for Law, Justice, Parliamentary Affairs and Information Barrister Mainul Hosein yesterday emphasised the need for empowering an honest and sincere government to provide better services to the people.

"It is difficult for people to remain honest if a government is not honest," he said while inaugurating the Imdad Sitara Khan Kidney Centre, Bogra at a function at Hotel Sheraton in the city.

Presided over by Sitara Khan, co-founder of the organisation, the function was also addressed, by Prof Shamim Ahmed, Director of National Institute of Kidney Diseases and Urology and Dr Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal, Chairman of Imdad Sitara Foundation.

Barrister Mainul Hosein said the present government would be happy if people can realise that there are honest and efficient people everywhere in the country.

Emphasising the need for bringing about change in attitude, he said, "If we can work unitedly the development and progress of the country can be achieved very quickly."

He said getting assistance for the helpless people in the Sidr-hit areas has been easier as the government is working with honesty and sincerely.

He regretted that the donors could not extend their helping hands to the past governments, as they could not trust them for not bringing about changes of the state of the governance.

They (donors) thought the government was not honest and the country was corrupt and so they could not extend their hands of cooperation, he said.

The Law Adviser said that foreign assistance should be received with caution to ensure tat such assistance is used for the purposes they are meant.

Donors believe that the help that they extended would be utilized to benefit the poor and the needy. None should earn a bad name for the country by not proving true to this, he said.

Referring to the huge response to assistance for the Sidr-affected people, he said a better future is waiting for people of the cyclone-hit areas.

The Adviser said the main reason of their assistance is that they have confidence to the present government.

He called upon the well-to-do people to extend helping hand to the needy.

Barrister Mainul Hosein emphasised the need for creating awareness about the kidney related diseases.

"Creating awareness about the kidney diseases will be best cure for the patients," he said.

Prof Shamim Ahmed said there are one and half a crore kidney patients in the country.

They can provide treatment to only 10 to 20 per cent of patients, he said.

Dr Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal emphasised the need for creating awareness about the kidney related diseases.

Sitara Khan said the foundation would set up such kidney centres at 19 major cities in the country in phases.

Later, a documentary on the treatment of kidney patients in the country was displayed in the function.