The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Centralisation of industry is the major cause of urban poverty and the government should take initiative to decentralise industries to solve the problem, said speakers in press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity yesterday.

"Coalition for the Urban Poor" (CUP), an organisation for the urban poor people in cooperation with a number of local and foreign NGOs informed the journalists about a workshop related to the urban poor that will be held tomorrow.

Mustafa Quaium Khan, executive director of the organisation, explained their aims. These are to ensure sustainable development of lifestyle of the urban poor, to support to fulfil their fundamental demands, to submit proposals to the highest body of government to provide them utility services and many others.

He said Bangladesh Urban Round Table (BURT) is a platform of various local and international organisations working in Bangladesh for policy advocacy, lobbying and social migration. Under this platform we conducted consultation workshops in five divisional cities and a workshop would be held in the capital tomorrow.

AN Md Emam Hasanath, chairperson of CUP, said, "We will draft 'Urban Poverty Position Paper' in the light of reports of these workshops. The current situation of urban poor, their sufferings, the way of developing their lifestyle and many other issues will be included in the paper".

The paper would help to draw attention of the government, donor agencies and NGOs for the betterment of their lives. He added.