The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Rotarians from home and abroad yesterday began a two-day district conference, aiming to decide their agenda for the greater cause of humanity and serve better the people who need supports.

The district conference, biggest annual event in Rotary calendar, is being attended by some 2,000 Rotarians who contribute money and endeavours to improve the quality of lives of the poor through supports for health, education, employment and disaster management.

Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury formally opened the District Conference 2008 of Rotary District 3280 Bangladesh at Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Centre in the city yesterday.

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed will attend the concluding session of the event at the same venue this afternoon as the chief guest. "Rotarians have a proven record of serving humanity over centuries and I give them thanks for their recent endeavours to stand beside the cyclone-hit people in the coastal areas of the country," Dr Iftekhar said declaring the conference open.

The Foreign Adviser said the institution-building reforms of the Caretaker Government are designed to create a pluralistic society in Bangladesh which would be corruption-free and where values of justice, equality and human rights would prevail.

"The Rotarians who are considered to be solvent and enlightened part of society, can contribute significantly to fulfill the agenda," he added.

Rotary International President's personal representative Manjit S Sawhney, district governor Rafiq Ahmed Siddique, district governor elect for 2008-09 Md Hafizullah, district governor nominee for 2009-10 AKM Shamsul Huda, past district governor Mustafa Zaman Abbasi, Mosud Mannan and Conference Chairman Dr Ishtiaque A Zaman also spoke on the occasion.

"The funds that will be saved from the conference would be spent for the construction of multi-purpose cyclone shelters in the coastal regions," Conference Chairman Dr Ishtiaque Zaman said, citing the long history of Rotary International services in various fields, including emerging infectious diseases and natural disasters.

Dr Zaman, who is the Head of the External Relations and Institutional Development at ICDDR,B, also said the district conference would discuss about what the Rotarians in Bangladesh needed to be done in the days ahead.

Some 2,000 Rotarians from 151 clubs, who are attending the two-day district conference, were present.

Later, the Foreign Adviser spoke to media about prices of rice. When asked to comment on the overall rice situation, he said: "You have all seen in the newspapers today that the market is stabilizing. Under the leadership of Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed the government has made a series of decisions."

He added: "As you have already seen, we all, including the Foreign Ministry, are working relentlessly in a coordinated manner to address the situation and to ensure that Bangladesh continues to progress along the path of development."