Bangladesh News

Education Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman yesterday said the caretaker government is working to enlist support of the country’s two large political parties in its ongoing efforts to ensure a credible and meaningful general elections and a stable post-election situation.

“Like Awami League [AL], BNP is also a major political party with large populist support-base. That is why we are trying to include both the major parties [BNP and AL] into our efforts,” he told reporters yesterday morning emerging from the inaugural ceremony of the first biennial conference of Bangladesh Economic Association (BEA), Chittagong chapter.

Zillur said the government’s prime objective is to create confidence among different political parties, the people and the nation.

“The government is moving forward by harmonising legal procedures and humanitarian aspects to get rid of the present crisis so that an atmosphere of confidence is created,” he said when asked about the latest developments regarding the release of detained BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her two sons Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman.

About remarks made by Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) Convenor Ferdous Ahmed Qureshi, the education adviser said, “We do not bother about who said what. It is not right to react to each and every comment… We have challenges ahead to overcome and we are trying very hard to conquer the challenges and do our duty.”

The inaugural function of the conference was held at the auditorium of Theatre Institute, Chittagong with President of BEA, Chittagong chapter, Prof M Sikander Khan in the chair. Zillur was the guest of honour.

BEA Central General Secretary and noted economist Prof Abul Barkat, Convenor of Conference Preparatory Committee Prof Abdul Mannan Chowdhury and General Secretary of BEA, Chittagong chapter Khorshedul Alam Quaderi also spoke on the occasion.

Prof Abul Barkat said around 60-70 percent of the population are now under the poverty line even though the government claims it to be 40 percent.

“According to us, the number of unemployed is around three crore against the government’s claim of 22 lakh. And this huge number of people have lost buying capacity,” he said adding that prices of essentials went up 30-300 percent in recent times.

Zillur said we have to understand the economic reality of Bangladesh based on reliable data and information and only then can we be able to formulate an effective policy.

“Ours is an initiative-driven society and the growth of our economy is by and large achieved due to the initiatives and enthusiasm of common people,” he said.

In the first session of conference three papers were presented–”Spiralling price inflation of food items and the issue of food security in Bangladesh” by Prof Mainul Islam, “The recent primary challenge of Bangladesh economy: Agriculture and Food” by Prof Narayan Baidya and “Price hike of essentials and economic stagnancy: The government’s direct role in checking the market” by Prof Dilip Barua.

Prof Irshad Kamal Khan and Abul Hossain discussed the papers with Vice-president of BEA and former secretary Syed Yusuf Hossain in the chair.

The second session chaired by Prof Mainul Islam saw three more papers presented–”Ways to revive the jute-economy in Bangladesh” by Prof Abul Barkat, “A drop in the ocean: Quest for finding solution to the food problem of mankind” by Kazi Muzaffer Ahmad and “In search of the present state of nuclear-energy use, cost comparison and the developing country context with some highlights on Bangladesh” by Nitai Chandra Nag.

Prof Abdul Mannan Chowdhury, Ali Ashraf and Md Tarequl Hasan Chowdhury spoke on the topics.