The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a seminar yesterday requested the government not to tow the line of the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.

They also urged the politicians and bureaucrats to come out from the dependency on foreign aid, and give importance to the mobilisation of domestic resources.

The seminar on "Doha Conference on Development Financing: Reproduction of Poverty in Bangladesh and Demand for Compensation' organised by Equity and Justice Working Group (EquityBD) at the National Press Club in the city. EquityBD convenor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury moderated the seminar, while Professor of Dhaka University Dr Abu Ahmed, Sapatahiki Editor Golam Mortaza, BSS Editor Joglul Ahmed Chowdhury, Ex MP Sahiduzaman and Shamsuzzaman Dudu, Ex Ambassador Waliur Rahman, Journalist Farooque Ahmed, AHM Bazlur Rahman, Mostafa Kamal Akanda, among others, took part in the discussion.

Dr Abu Ahmed said, "The rich countries always try to give loans in the name of development projects, we should innovate mechanism to mobilise resources of our own."

He also demanded disclosure of statistics of foreign currency loss in the name of profit repatriation, education and health expenditures of rich people abroad.

The speakers urged all the politicians and others to take a vision for silver jubilee of the liberation of Bangladesh in 2021 for a sovereign economy without any foreign aid and loan.

They demanded that the government should not negotiate further on any loan with the international financial institutions and also not to sign any contract with any foreign company, until a political government takes power in the country.

Md. Shamsuddoha, Secretary General of the organisation, presented keynote paper.

In his keynote paper Shamsuddoha demanded of the interim government to declare the country position in terms of development financing in public in the upcoming United Nations Finance for Development (UNFFD) conference to be held in Doha during November 29 to December 2, 2008.