The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Country's developmental activities must continue on state funds for the prosperity of the country instead of depending on foreign aid, speakers yesterday said at a seminar.

They also said that the developed countries and international donor agencies could not change our fate until we take our own initiatives to develop the country.

The number of Least Developed Countries rose to 49 from 24 in the last 37 years.

LDC Watch, South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE) and Equity and Justice Working Group (Equity BD), Bangladesh jointly organised the seminar on 'Least Development Countries and Brussels Programme of Action (BPoA)' in the city. Golam Mortuja, Editor of Weekly Saptahik, said the least developed countries, like Bangladesh, could not reach their goal, as they follow the advice of international donor agencies like the World Bank (WB), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF).

"These agencies lead us to the level from where we will not be able to turn around," he added.

The indifference of politicians helps these agencies to worsen the economic woe of the country, he said.

Terming the development brought about in the country by these international agencies momentary, former minister GM Kader said, "Economic collapse can occur at any time."

If we could refrain from depending on these organisations and think only about the welfare of the country, we would certainly succeed regardless of the pain involved in achieving something good, he said.

In his keynote paper, Md Shamsuddoha of Equity BD urged for the implementation of the goal of Brussels Programme of Action within 2010.

He proposed stable macroeconomic framework, sound investment, reduction of TB and malaria deaths and prevalence by half within 2010.He also called for good governance, rule of law and transparency in financial, monetary and non-discriminatory multilateral trading and financial system.

Among others, Dr Hasan Mahmud of Awami League, Rizvi Ahmed of BNP, Dr Arjun Karki, President of Democracy Watch, Rashed Al Titumir, chairman of Unnayan Anneshan, Rokeya Kabir of SAAPE and Asjadul Kibria addressed the seminar.