The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Speakers called on the government to amend the cooperative law and to announce the month of March as the month of savings at a discussion meeting organised by Kingsu Multi Purpose Cooperative Society at Engineers Institute auditorium in the capital yesterday.

Professor Mozaffar Ahmed, Chairman of Transparency International Bangladesh, said, in the age of Open market economy the cooperative societies can play a vital role to develop country's economy. He urged the government to provide technical support to make these cooperative organisations self-depended. During the previous years most of the government tried to politicise these organisations for their self-interest.

He also urged the policy makers of these organisations to decentralise their activities in the rural area to inspire the investors to invest in agricultural sector.

Dhiraj Kumar Nath, Formar Adviser to the Caretaker Government, said the Government should draw more attention to the cooperative organisations so that they can run their activities for contributing in country's economy. He also urged the leaders of different cooperative societies to take initiative to open a private cooperative bank.

ANM Badrul Amin, Managing Director of Bangladesh Film Development Corporation, said, people of all classes should come under cooperative society to survive. These societies could reach their aims, as the government did not sponsor cordially. As a result it has a negative influence in the country's economy. He urged the government to take initiative to overcome the problem.

Professor Tofail Ahmed, SA Mahmudi, Chief Executive of Kingsu Multi Purpose Cooperative Society, among others, were present in the discussion meeting.