The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a dialogue yesterday called upon the government to decentralise the administration for reducing regional disparity in the country.

They made their call at a dialogue styled "Regional Disparity in Bangladesh: An Emerging Concern" at BRAC Centre Inn Auditorium. The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) organised the dialogue. Finance Adviser AB Mirza Azizul Islam was present in the dialogue as chief guest while Regulatory Reforms Commission Chairman Dr Akbar Ali Khan was special guest. The CPD Chairperson Rehman Sobhan moderated the dialogue. Ambar Narayan and Hassan Zaman of World Bank presented the keynote paper.

AB Mirza Azizul Islam said that the next political government would take steps to solve the controversy over coal issues for accelerating the industrialisation in the country's northern districts.

He explained his government activities to reduce the regional disparity and said that the Caretaker Government has taken steps to bring 40 per cent of the total food import through the Mongla port.

"The Government has already allocated Tk 40 crore for 29 poorest districts in 2008-09. It was Tk 21 crore in last fiscal. Besides the Government also conducted 100 days programme for the areas," he pointed out.

The Finance Adviser observed that the shortage of gas and electricity have hampered industrial growth in northern region of the country.

Former Adviser Akbar Ali Khan said that the central government should empower local government through decentralised administration. He also called for strengthening the local government to reduce regional disparity.

"For accelerating the economic growth, the regional disparity should be reduced," he said adding, "The facilities of electricity, gas and transport system in the northern districts is poor."

He added that the investors do not show their interest to invest without gas, electricity and transport facilities despite tax holidays.

Former Finance Minister M Saiduzzaman said that the poverty level has increased during the last three years in the country.

BRAC Executive Director Dr Mahbubur Rahman called upon the government to adopt modern technology in the agriculture sector to increase food production.

Dr Uttam Dev of CPD called for disseminating the available technology in agriculture sector to reduce poverty.

Ambar Narayan and Hassan Zaman in their papers said that Dhaka and Chittagong contributed 79 per cent of national poverty reduction with just over half the population whereas Khulna and Barisal with 20 per cent population had no contribution at all.

Abul Hasnat Abdullah, Dr Sazzad Zahir, Jafar Ullah, Siddiqur Rahman Chowdhury, Manjur Ahmed, among other, participated in the dialogue.