The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

The visiting British cross-party group of MPs came up with the assurance that their government would support Bangladesh to help the country reduce poverty and live with the impacts of climate change through internationally assisted adaptation measures.

The United Kingdom plans to provide 126 million pounds in bilateral assistance to Bangladesh in 2009-10.

Over the next five years, the British aid aims to help Bangladesh reduce poverty and live with the impacts of climate change.

"We see a lot of good activities in Bangladesh. We do not believe that the people of Bangladesh will be denied in poverty reduction or the impacts of climate change," said Malcolm Bruce MP at a press conference at a city hotel yesterday afternoon.

Bruce, a Liberal Democrat and chairman of the International Development Committee, said in their visit to Bangladesh, issues like poverty reduction and climate change got priority as the twin-problems cause people's plight.

"We went to char islands, saw the livelihood of the people. We saw people in a difficult environment. Our programmes gave them livestock, generate income and limited health support."

The British MP also observed that since the Independence of Bangladesh, the country has reduced its poverty from 70 per cent to 40per cent.

"We have a positive attitude towards the prospect of Bangladesh. We took some evidences and will go back to UK. We will evaluate the projects and in next few weeks will publish our report with some recommendations," he told the journalists.

The nine British MPs of the International Development Committee are in the capital on a week-long visit for scrutinizing the British aid partnership with Bangladesh and the work for the Department for International Development (DFID).

They are reviewing and assessing the scale and scope of the UK development programme, with a particular focus on social services, work with local communities, climate change, governance, private sector and aid effectiveness.

Bruce said that in a parliamentary democracy, there is a proper role for the opposition.

Mentioning their day's meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he said that the Prime Minister is also anxious that the opposition party will play their role.

Speaking at the press conference, Labour Party MP Marsha Singh said the Bangladeshis in Britain are contributing to British life and economy.

"The British government will keep up to its commitment to Bangladesh," he added.

Conservative Party MP Nigel Evans said this was his first trip to Bangladesh and he received a tremendous welcome here.

He said on their visit to a village, he witnessed one of their programmes which supported education and health.

He also informed that their visit focused on having a firsthand view of how the money of DFID is spent. "We will have a big discussion before writing our report." he said, adding that the DFID spent around 6 billion pounds sterling throughout the world.

Evans said that they are passing through their taxpayers' money and the people of Britain would like to know that their money is being spent in poverty reduction and facing the climate-change adversities.

Answering to a query, Bruce said that they had a meeting of parliamentarians in Sweden recently on the climate-change issue. He said that the US is not ready to make a farm commitment on this issue.

Replying to another question, he said both China and India have a very clear view in the upcoming Copenhagen Summit in December.

"India and America will not be the deal-breakers, will be the deal-makers," he hoped.

Bruce also told a questioner that their funds would be stopped or withheld if the money is not spent in the right way.

Responding to another question, he said the committee (International Development Committee) is responsible for overseeing their development activities throughout the world.