New Delhi, Sept 13, IRNA
Bangladesh-Proverty-Seminar
Speakers at a seminar in Dhaka Tuesday observed that the country’s poverty ratio has increased in the last few years due to adoption of the World Bank and IMF prescriptions.
In 1972 about 50 million people used to live under the poverty line. But the figure rose to 70 million in the year 2005 which, they said, resulted from the adoption of various suggestions made by the two international lending agencies, although aids from them increased by 63 percent during the same time, Daily Star reported from Dhaka.
The observation came at a seminar dubbed `Interest of World Bank and International Monetary Fund: Policy Making, Condition and Sovereignty’ organized by the Alliance for Economic Justice (AEJB), a platform of 36 organizations, including the Campaign for Good Governance, held at the National Press Club.
The seminar, chaired by Hoque Mukta, director for research and advocacy of Karmojibi Nari, was held prior to the 50th summit of the WB and IMF, due to take place in Singapore from September 14 to 20. Zakir Hossain and Rashed Al Titumir of Unnayan Onneshan were also present at the seminar.
“The government has failed to monitor the domestic market by following WB and IMF prescriptions. As a result, poor people suffer more due to sky rocketing prices of commodities,” said Mousumi Biswash of the Campaign for Good Governance.
She said: “By adopting WB and IMF prescriptions, about 20 million people fell under the poverty line during the last few years.” Abdullah Al Mamun of Karmojibi Nari said: “As the national budget and other economic policies are usually formulated by following WB and IMF suggestions, the ratio of poverty alleviation has come down.”
Although the country’s GDP has gone up 5 percent in the last 15 years, poverty has been reduced by only one percent, said Monwar Mostafa of Unnayan Onneshan.
He said: “If we continuously follow the donors’ prescriptions instead of our own homegrown policy, it would not be possible to remove poverty from the country.”
