The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Finance and Planning Adviser Dr AB Mirza Azizul Islam yesterday laid emphasis on effective regional cooperation among the member countries of BIMSTEC for food security and poverty alleviation.

He said increase in the prices of food grains, fuel and fertilisers has affected the poor people in the region of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).

He was speaking at a meeting of the senior officials of BIMSTEC at a city hotel.

The meeting, preceding the first BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting on 'Poverty Alleviation' set the agenda for discussions.

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed will formally inaugurate the meeting today.

Dr Azizul said the government has taken various steps to mitigate the sufferings of the people through social safety net programmes and employment generation schemes.

He said Bangladesh has set up a climate change fund to implement adaptation and mitigation measurers for dealing with the impact of natural disasters induced by climate change.

Founded on June 6, 1997 in Bangkok, BIMSTEC is made up of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.