The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a press conference called for maintaining transparency and accountability while receiving foreign aid in the greater interest of the country.

Speakers at a press conference yesterday said the government should receive such foreign aid, can protect the right of the country.

They were speaking at a press conference on 'Effective Foreign Aid' jointly organised by Voice and Aid Accountability Group, two local NGOS at the Dhaka Reporters Unity auditorium yesterday.

Ahmed Swapan Mahmud, Executive Director of Voice, read out a statement at the press conference.

In a written statement, Swapan Mahmud, said the World Bank and IMF provided loan to the developing countries with so many strings attached to them.

These conditionalities deprived the recipient countries of their fundamental rights, he observed.

He further said that fulfilment of the donors' irrational conditions only deepened poverty in the recipient countries.

He alleged that the World Bank, IMF and Asian Development Bank interfere in the state policy of the aid receiving countries. These agencies

are more interested in providing loan instead of aid for earning hefty interests on loan. Of the total support during the last three decades to Bangladesh, loan constitutes 52 per cent and aid 48 per cent, he informed.

The government has increased fuel price as well as privatised the public service oriented organisations following the direction of foreign aid giving agencies, the Voice executive director said.

Dr Pias Karim said our country could achieve self-reliance without taking loans as nearly 70 per cent of the total loans is spent in meeting consultancy fees and interest on them.

Different human right groups will chalk out a two-day programme from August 31 prior to two-day ministerial level meeting of aid giving countries and agencies on 'Effectiveness of Foreign Aid' at Accra in Ghana.