Halving poverty by 2015: Bangladesh should target eight basic needs: UN

October 18, 2009

BSS, Dhaka — Global Chief of United Nations’ Millennium Campaign (UNMC), Salil Shetty on Saturday said the United Nations’ would continue its support to the government of Bangladesh for implementing its anti poverty programmes in order to achieve targets of cutting down poverty by half within 2015.

He said, Bangladesh could consider the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as Bangladesh Development Goals for achieving the basic eight demands for people that have been target under the MDGs.

The UNMC chief said this at two separate functions in the city yesterday, on the second day of a three-day Millennium Campaign against poverty of UNMC with the theme: “Stand Up and Take Action: End Poverty, Act Now.”

Speaking as the special guest at a mass gathering at the Central Shaheed Minar here yesterday morning, he said the global body would continue its support to Bangladesh government by staying beside it. “Side by side it would also remind the government if any relaxation is found in implementing the programmes against poverty,” he added.

Anti Poverty Platform of 16 organisations organised the gathering and a human chain to launch citizen’s voice in fight against poverty.

Communist party’s general secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim, JSD President Hasanul Haque Inu, MP, Workers’ party leader Fazle Hossain Badsha, MP, Awami League leaders Dr Mustafa Jalal Mohiuddin and Advocate Begum Sanjida Khatun, MP, and former adviser of the caretaker government Rasheda K Chowdhury also spoke.

Emphasizing on the need for launching a extensive campaign against poverty, Salil Shetty said the campaign should not be made only for three days, rather it should be continued for 365 days of the year.

“Stand Up and Take Action (SUTA) is not only a three-day programme, it should be for 365 days of the year,” he said.

The UNMC chief said achieving eight targets under MDGs is not a political right or citizen’s right, rather it is a human right.

“Although we feel proud to see that Bangladesh made some progress in several fields, still many Bangladeshis are living on daily basis, many children drop out from schools, many mothers have to die during deliveries,” he said.

The campaign to cut down poverty and achieving other MDGs, the programmes were limited in seminars and meetings, but now it has been brought to public in order to mobilize people to express their opinion, he added.

Referring to International Food Day 2009 on October 16 and International Poverty Reduction Day 2009 on October 17, he said both poverty reduction and ensuring food are part of drive for reducing and eliminating poverty.

Last year, people in 100 countries conducted the campaign, and many more people are now working against poverty, he said.

Former judge of the Supreme Court Justice Golam Rabbani said Bangladesh was expected to get free from poverty and hunger as the country was freed in 1971 with the aspiration for liberty.

Speaking at a roundtable at city’s Bengal Gallery Caf, on Saturday afternoon, Salil Shetty said, Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper is the plan of the World Bank and the IMF and besides this every government has a development programme for achieving the MDGs.

Salil Shetty said every government has its policy, but the problem is in implementation phase and fund mobilization. “The governments need right track to implement the programmes,” he added.

People at char and remote areas are often left out of the programmes, he said urging the authorities to follow very effective and strategic plan with strong focus on the issue of poverty reduction, particularly for women.

“The government has to oversee grassroots level what actually is happening and what should be done at that level,” he added.

Speaking as a special guest at the roundtable at city’s Bengal Gallery Caf, Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University Prof Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique laid stress on the need of proper education, especially at primary and secondary levels.

Professor Arefin Siddiqui said, without ensuring education to all, it is not possible to take the society ahead and make it free from repression, deprivation, poverty and hunger.

He said there is no alternative to democracy and land reform, and for this the country has to ensure development in education. “Education should not be only for making wealth ignoring demands and rights of others in the society, rather it has to be for building a society based on equality.

Professor MM Akash of the Department of Economics of DU spoke as special guest. While Executive Director of WAVE Md Mohsin Ali moderated it. MM Akash said the structure of the society should be changed for reforming a society based on justice and equality. “We have to consider the fight against poverty as fight against inequality,” he added.

Poverty is created due to struggle for getting ownership of wealth, he said adding the major problem is distribution and equal access to wealth. “Ruling group is always responsible for creating poverty as they remain engaged in owning ownership,” he said.

“Ideal strategy for poverty eradication is democratic participation of majority of the people and allowing them in opinion levels,” he said adding, “political empowerment of mass people should be ensured through a participatory democracy.”

Monisha Biswas, UNMC National Expert in Bangladesh, Ratan Sarker of INCIDIN Bangladesh, Mohammad Hilaluddin, Executive Director of Angikar and representatives from other associate organizations also spoke. Mohsin Ali Executive Director of WAVE Foundation moderated the function. A human chain was formed in front of the Jatiya Press Club this afternoon. Jatiya Garments Sramik Federation organized the human chain.

Halving poverty by 2015: Bangladesh should target eight basic needs: UN

Comments