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World Bank IMF Advice Reproduce Poverty: We Must Prepare Our Own Strategy.

Dhaka, 15^th April 2005. SUPRO and Weekly 2000 a popular news magazine have organized a round table at WVA auditorium at Dhanmondi as part of Global Week of Action (10-16 April 2005) on the occasion of action against unfair trade. Dr. Atiur Rahaman of Unnayan Shamunnay, Ms Rokeya Kabir of BNPS, Kabir Hossain, assistant secretary of Jatiyotabadi Sramik Dal (a labour party), Sadek Siddique, Joint secretary of Bangladesh Jatiayo Party, Advocate Maleka Parvin of TMSS, Journalist Asjadul Kabria have delivered their speech to the round table.

Before one year, government has reduced rate of interest according to the instruction of the WB and IMF to encourage investment.  At that time many persons have oppose the decision, but government has not brought to notice. But now it has revealed, Banks have disbursed a huge amount of loans without anything in hand. In front of last election such practice of credit disbursement has happened. Economist Dr. Atiur Rhaman has delivered that speech in round table organized by SUPRO and Weekly 2000 at Dhanmondi on today. He has added, nation could not progressed through listen to WB and IMF advice rather most of the time such advice gone against our interest. He said, we have no necessity of foreign credit, we can be self-sufficient depend on our remittance if our politician will have been tried.

Ms. Rokeya Kabir of BNPS has expressed in round table, international capital have an enveloped role to depravity of politics. Such culture of our politics have been sustaining by them. We have to formulate poverty reduction strategy with identifying those factors.  She has added about 1 core 40 lakh youths have been unemployed in country.  Poverty reduction will not be possible without ensuring the employment of that section.

Mr. Kabir Hosan, Assistant Secretary of Nationalist Labour Party has said we have no necessity of foreign credit; poverty reduction can be only possible by legal alms.  

Mr. Sadek Siddique, Joint secretary of Bangladesh Jatiayo Party, has added, Here much more politician gives word to come but they have not participate to avoid the issue. In such discussion much more involvement of politician has to be ensured.  NGOs and civil society have to be worked beyond the politics.

Journalist Asjadul Kibria has delivered his speech to the round table, Member of WB and IMF whose have been advised to Bangladesh that not neutral at all, most of them from border land or the impact of advice has gone in favour of those countries.

All discussants emphasized, though Gas is our own property but we have to increase the price according international financial institutions pressure. As a result production cost of different goods including agricultural products have been increasing, but they have not been received such price. So those international institutions have been providing suggestion to reproduce poverty not to reduce poverty.

Brief report on “Corporate Governance: Mobile Phone, Oil and Gas Sector” dated 11^th April 2005, at WVA Auditorium, Dhaka, on the eve of Global Week of Action

Government Must Act to Ensure Accountability and Social Responsibilities of Multi National Companies Involved in Mobile Phone and Gas Sector. 

Not only in Bangladesh but also in the USA who will be the multi national companies not by the people control the president at all.  We find the same reflection here in Bangladesh. This is not surprising it’s the reality. Engineer Mohammad Shahidullah, chairman of Bangladesh Oil & Gas preservation/Save national committee said these in the seminar titled ‘Corporate Governance: Mobile phone, Oil & Gas Sector’ at WVA auditorium in Dhanmondi, Dhaka.

SUPRO, Pradip and Citizen Rights Movement have jointly organized the seminar as part of the Global week of action programs in Bangladesh. GM Fazlul Huq, MP (Member of Parliament), Chairman - Post & Telecommunication Parliamentary Standing Committee, Mr Abdul Razzak MP, agricultural secretary of The Bangladesh Awami league the opposition party, Mr Abdul Malek Ratan, secretary of Jatio Shamastrantik Dal (JSD), Telecom analyst Mr. Abu Sayed Khan, Executive Director of BPDC Mr Sharif A Kafi and many other key persons was present in this occasion and delivered their valuable speeches. Mr. Rafiqul Islam, Director, RUPANTAR and also the Treasurer has acted as moderator of the session.

Mr. Fazlul Huq, chairman-of the parliamentary standing committee of post and telecommunications questioned why the cell phone service provider companies are not present in this seminar and he said he would issue a notice to the companies in this regard soon. He mentioned that it’s their moral responsibility to be accountable to the people.

Dr Abdur Razzak, MP, of Bangladesh Awami League and member of the Estimate related Parliamentary standing committee informed the house that he asked (in written) the mobile phone service provider companies to provide documents containing how much the expenditure is and how much the profit is in the call charges. He hopes the companies will answer the question in the next meeting.

Four keynote papers addressing Mobile phone in Bangladesh and Corporate Governance in Oil and gas sector were presented in the seminar Mr. Sahamsudoha, Mr. Golam Nabi Jewel Mr. Azizul Islam and Mr Tushar Rehman read their keynote papers.

In his paper Mr. Samsudoha depicted the indiscipline scenario of the gas sector in Bangladesh. He mentioned that Unicol demanded that they have already paid Take 134 core as penalty for the Magurchaara accident but in reply BAPEX said that they didn’t receive a single penny as penalty from them, they are going to issue a show cause notice to them soon. He mentioned in his paper that the investigation report of the Magurchara explosion is lost from the ministry.

In his key not paper Mr. Golam Nabi Jewel mentioned that in Pakistan to obtain a license the mobile phone companies has to pay US dollar 291 millions in open biding but in Bangladesh the license fee is fixed and it’s Taka 1 crore ( taka 10 million, approximately US $ 16,667) only. In the SAARC countries the call rates are Tk. 1 in India, Tk.2.50 in Nepal, Tk.3.50 in Pakistan but in Bangladesh it’s nearly double as Tk.7 per minute.

Mr Sharif A Kafi Executive director Of BPDC said to the house that a gas field was discovered in Moulovibazar a long days ago but its not explored till to date. People have the right to know the underlying reasons to serve whose interest this gas field has not been explored. There are many brands of liquid milks are available in the market but with this milks one can’t develop ‘doi’ (yogurt) as because the manufacturers used a huge chemical preservatives. There is no control system.

Telecom analyst Mr. Abu Sayed Khan said, our main political parties have opposite views in almost every issue but very surprisingly they takes the same stand in the issue of corruption. They became deaf and dumb when the peoples right are violated. He said that Grameen phone has three (3) million subscribers but how much customer service centers they have? If some one intents to know the bill status he has to pay for it.