1. The government of Bangladesh
has drafted a law regarding giving Immunity
to the World Bank from all legal procedures
of the country, which will be presented in the
next September session of the Parliament for
its approval. The law will be named as The International
Financial Organization (Amendment) Act-2004.
2.
In order to operate in the partner-
countries Word Bank has to follow an Article
of Agreement, which has approval from it's Board
of Directors. As per this article a law in the
name of The International Financial Organization
(Amendment) Act-1972, is already exists in the
country. Under this law a variety of facilities
have been made available for the World Bank.
For example, world bank does not need to pay
tax to the countries for it's income and properties,
no legal action can be taken against any staff
if he or she carries any activities as per the
order of the world bank, no immigration laws
can be applied for it's non-local staff.
3.Now
World Bank is creating pressure on Bangladesh
to have more absolute immunity as an institution
from all legal proceedings of the country even
which is not a statutory requirement or obligation
of the countries where the Bank operate according
to its article of agreement. And which is not
within the frame of The International Financial
Organization (Amendment) Act-1972. And this
pressure has a link with the penalization of
a case (case no-225/2000) by the ex-world bank
Dhaka Based officer Ismat Zerin Khan. She was
an employee of the Bank who was terminated.
Zerin Khan than made an appeal to word bank
Staff Association Tribunal that stated that
there is a number of weakness and injustice
in the dismissal. She fields this case in local
court.
4.
Despite facing the trial properly,
World Bank has been making pressure on Bangladesh
to immune himself or herself from any sort of
legal procedure. But the article-8 The International
Financial Organization (Amendment) Act-1972
and article-3 of 7of the Article of Agreement
state that World Bank will not get immunity
but as per article 8 of 7 it's staff will get
the same as they have carried out the order.
World bank has been exerting the pressure since
2001 i.e., from the time of caretaker government.
5.
This amendment, which is proposing
immunity to the Bank as an institution, is totally
different from other partner countries of World
Bank and as a result no citizen or state can
file a case against World Bank if they are losers
by the later. So it is violation of basic rights
as mentioned in the constitution of Bangladesh
and even if it is the violation universal human
right.
We feel the Bank is a public institution although
in spite of difference in relation to the voting
power in the World Bank management system due
to difference in yearly subscription and sharing
in investment. Since partner countries invest
those subscription and share out of public tax
money, our demand World Bank must show accountable
and transparent to the local people.
6.
Although the Bank show the slogan "
world without poverty" but World Bank and
its supported institutions like IMF, IDA, and
IBRD in fact have been working for protection
of the interests of the multi national countries
of the rich nations. In the name of financial
assistance to the developmental project World
Bank is serving the interests of a few vested
people of the developing nations and so called
advisors and intellectuals hired from rich nations.
7.
We believe that the poor people, who are the
victims of World Bank's sponsored projects,
have the rights to sue them for compensation.
To demand for legal justice from a public institution
is a basic right of the people. We have achieved
this constitutional right at the cost of our
ancestor's blood in Bangladesh. We request to
the government to dignify our constitutional
rights by preventing World Bank enjoying such
immunity from any legal implications.
In the same way we demand government to reconsider
the law of immunity extended to the Asian Development
Bank. Because this practice will encourage other
donor agencies and multinational companies to
come out with such demand of immunity which
will destroy our entity as a sovereign nation.
8. We have arranged following
protest activities against World Bank immunity.
a. 2nd September-2004, 10:
AM. Press Conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity
Auditorium, Dhaka
b. 4 to 9 September, Sending
Fax to the decision making level of the government
from all districts.
c. 4 to 9 September, Signature
collection and street demonstration and meetings.
d. 4 to 9 September, Letter
to the Hon'ble Members of Parliament.
e. 9 September, Mass Assembly
at Sahbag, Dhaka, and Memorandum to the Hon'ble
Speaker.
Alliance Against World Bank Immunity
Secretariat:
Alliance
Against World Bank Immunity
C/O# Sushasaner Jonnoy Pracharavizan (SUPRO)
House # 9/4, Road# 2, Shamoli, Dhaka-1207
Ph # 8125181, 8154673, 0171-014203
Fax- 9129395, E-mail- supro@bd.drik.net
The
alliance is composed of the following organizations:
YPSA-Chittagong,
USAP-Lakshmipur, UBING, AFSC, FFD, NRDS-Noakhali,
LIFD, CAB, Kormakutir, Karmajibi Nari, COAST,
CUP, JJS-Khulna, DRC-Chittagong, The Innovator,
Nagorik Uddog, Nirapod Naopat Bastobaion Jote,
PAVE Trust – Bogra, Bangladesh Garments
Workers Protection Alliance, VOICE, Mijanur
Rahman Apel, RIO-Sylhet, LOKOJ, CDP-Khulna,
SoDESH-Satkhira and Sushasoner Jonny Procharavizan.
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