Previous Campaign
( October 2007 - Augst 2008 )

LDC and Brussels Plan of Actions (BPoA)

LDC Watch, South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE) and Equity and Justice Working Group (Equity BD), Bangladesh jointly organized the seminar on 'LDCs and Brussels Programme of Action (BPoA)' in Dhaka. In the introductory speech, Dr Arjun K Karki of LDC Watch said there were 24 least developed countries in 1971. ‘But now the number of LDCs has increased to 49 and the rich countries are responsible for their deterioration,’ he said. ‘We were not poor. We were systemically made poor. LDCs must apply ‘2P’ strategy i.e Pressure and Partnership to gain benefit from the international Programme of Actions and multilateral development processes. In the key note presentation Md Shamsuddoha, Secretary equitybd, specifically analyzed the major challenges facing the LDCs in the implementation of BPoA and asked the lending countries and agencies to take immediate measures, which include fulfilling their promises for ensuring economic development in low-income countries, by building up human resources and increasing institutional capacities, enhancing the role of trade in development, reducing vulnerability, protecting the environment and mobilizing financial resources’.  Dr Hasan Mahmud, Special Assistant to the Awami League Chief Sheikh Hasina, said the least developed countries, like Bangladesh, could not reach their goal, as they follow the advice of international donor agencies like the World Bank (WB), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF). BNP leader Rizvi Ahmed said the elected representatives of the government must make efforts to prepare the development plans with their eyes on nation’s interests, both at local and international levels.

The Jatiya Party’s presidium member, GM Quader, said the political parties here lack the will to protect the nation’s interests while negotiating with the lending countries and agencies.

please down load the seminar outline, conept note both in Bengali and English, LDC Watch brochure both in Bengali and English, UN reports on BPoA, LDC Governance, LDC and Gender and LDC Progress Indicators and powerpoint presentation, Press releasen Bengali and Briefing Pape.

Online Media Coverage:

The South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) failed to play any significant role in socio-economic development of the sub-continent

Dhaka 13 july 2008: South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is suffering from some structural deficiencies and lack of correct mindset to swing the forum to an economic union for improving the quality of life of its people.
They said, the SAARC has adopted scores of decisions and projects with regards to eradicating poverty, climate change, food bank, trade and commerce to improve economic cooperation among the members, but most of them remained in paper or implemented partially due to some shortcomings in the implementation process.
The speakers said this at a roundtable on ‘Peoples’ Expectation and South Asian Union’ jointly organized by Media Foundation for Trade and Development and Equity and Justice Working Group at Jatiya Press Club Sunday.

Addressing the roundtable as the chief guest, former SAARC secretary general QAMA Rahim said, the SAARC should make functional its ‘post-office type’ secretariat by giving power to oversee the execution of the decisions.
He also called for changing the mindset of the SAARC leaders particularly the bureaucrats and people as well to address the drawbacks to move the Saarc on its right direction and to make it an economic union by 2020.
Noted academic and former vice chancellor of Dhaka University Professor Moniruzzaman Miah, outgoing Country Representative of the Asian Development Bank Ms Hua Du attended the roundtable as the special guests.
Former State Minister for Foreign Affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury, eminent economist Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman, BSS chief editor Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury and former commerce secretary Sohel Ahmed were the main discussants of the roundtable. Foreign Ministry official Faisal Ahmed talked about the agenda of the next SAARC summit in Colombo in the last week of this month and former secretary Siddiqur Rahman, ambassador Waliur-Rahman and Executive Director of Debtech Ferdousi Begum spoke among others.

Member secretary of Equity and Justice Working Justice M Shamsuddoha presented a keynote paper on the topic while Faruk Ahmed of Media Foundation acted as moderator.

Please download the press release, . Presentation, Media Coverage,

Online Media Coverage:

Dhaka 06 July 2008: Today Equity & Justice Working Group (Equitybd) in organized a press conference on “SAARC Ministerial Meeting” at Reporter’s Unity Dhaka, VIP hall room. EquityBd urged the Bangladesh government to rase the climate change issues in the upcoming 15th Saarc Summit.

Keynote paper present by Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, convener EquityBd, The organizer urged that "SAARC members should discuss on how they can address the food crisis by their surplus food in this region so that no member country of this organization can take the opportunity of food crisis of another country" , they also discus on Introduction visa-free traveling and climate change issue. In the conference among with others AHM Bazlur Rahaman, Sahadut Hossin Chowdhury, Mustafa Kama also present there

Please download the press release, . Position Paper(Bangla) , Media Coverage,

Online Media Coverage:

Dhaka 03 July 2008: Today Equity & Justice Working Group (Equitybd) in collaboration with Jubilee South- APMDD, SAAPE and LDC Watch has organized a press conference titled on “ Cancel Debt, Reparation and Climate Justice”  at Reporter’s Unity Dhaka, VIP hall room. Former adviser of caretaker government and Executive Director- Ain O Salish Kandro, Advocate Sultana Kamal  inaugurated the international Campaign by switching on the flash card  on before the 34th G8 summit wich will be took place in Hokkaido, Toyako, Japan 7-9th of July 2008

The key note paper presented by Syed Aminul Hoque, researcher- Equitybd. The organizer urged for cancellation of all foreign debt, ensure climate justice and not to create any fund under controlling of World Bank. They also demanded to create the adaptation fund with the given frame work of UNDP. In the conference among with others AHM Bazlur Rahaman, Sahadut Hossin Chowdhury, Mustafa Kamal and Atiqul Islam Chowdhury from Equity & Justice Working Group were present.
Please download the press release, presentation, flash Card , Media Coverage, Photos and two Policy Brief .

Click on image to download the policy Brief

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Online Media Coverage:

Dhaka 12 june 2008: Equity and justice working group organized a post budget dialogue on the proposed national budget of Bangladesh of 2008 – 2009 FY. This dialogue was to facilitate people’s expectation to fed in to the proposed one. A number of civil society organizations , representatives of different professional group , representatives of leading political parties were participated in the dialogue and put forward their concern to make national budget pro poor and growth oriented wherein people would have equitable and justified access to the resources. Among others, Mr. Rashed Al Titumir of Unnayan Onneshan, Mahmudur Rahman Manna  of Bangladesh Awami league, Samsuzzaman Dudu of BNP, Golam Mortoza editor of Saptahik, Ahmed Swopon Mahmud of Voice , Maliha  Shajahn of APIT,  Sharif –e- Kafi of BDPC were present and expressed their views and thought to make the budget pro- poor.

Syed Aminul Hoque in his key note presentation on proposed budget said; although the budget proposed increased amount of allocation to social safety net projects and to other prime sectors like agriculture but these subsidy likely to benefit urban middle class and rural elites. Syed Aminul commented Social Safety Net dominated budget as the budget of relief oriented and to satisfy immediate needs not really looking at the long term measures of poverty reduction. The proposed budget is heavily relied on deficit financing from the external sources, which will make country more indebted to the international financial institutions. Syed Aminul pointed that the government could follow the recommendations of Public Expenditure Review Commission, which has been framed while 4-party alliance was in power. Again, analysis of the implementation of previous year’s budget shows that expenditure in service and human development sectors like health and family planning, power and energy etc. was comparatively less than the other sectors like defense, public works etc, which is increasing human poverty as well as widening rural-urban as well as rich-poor gap.

In the open discussion many of the discussant indicated power and agriculture subsidy as discriminatory and unjustified while around 90 percent of these subsidy is spent to satisfy luxury of urban people. Speakers in the dialogue demanded withdrawal of fossil fuel subsidy from the non-agriculture/ non-productive sectors. They also proposed several specific recommendation to reduce fossil fuel dependency; like-

he speakers also opposed the present concept of attaining food security as this concept undermines peoples’ rights on production system, farmers’ indigenous knowledge and make farmer dependent on multi-national companies for agricultural inputs.   

Power Point Presentation are :

	Subject	Click	Presented By
1	Budget Feedback Framework and Some Fundamental Approach		Md Shamsuddoha
2	Budget analysis & review based on economic justice and equity		Syed Aminul Hoque

Conference Photo And Media Coverage.

Online Media Coverage:

To make the next budget 2008-09 peoples oriented and effective, EJWG and NTV organize a week long pre budget discussion program. NTV  telecast the program AJKER SHOKAL regularly at 8.30 am  from 26 to 30 May , 2008.

Please download the Pdf file of  Pre Budget discussion .    

	Participant	Download
	Dr. Tofail Ahemd, country's renowned social scientist Priority should be given to subsidy of Agricultural production and enhance the Social Safety net program.	Discussion 26 may 2008
	Mr. Faruque Ahmed, President, Media Foundation for Trade and Development To achieve self-sufficiency in Food production we need Agricultural Land Policy and Establish Agro processing plant	Discussion 27 may 2008
	Begum Shamsun Nahar, Gender and development Specialist Ensure Quality of Health Services from local Govt. Hospital by giving priority to Public sector.	Discussion 28 may 2008
	Sarmina Rashimen, Social Activist Urge to government to allocate sufficient budget for implementation of Coastal Development Policy.	Discussion 29 may 2008
	Mustafa Kamal, Development Activist Demanding Revenue based Budget instead on foreign debt in Budget financing. .	Discussion 30 may 2008

17 APRIL 2008: A Seminar on ADB at  Dhaka Reporters Unity, Dhaka

Dhaka 17 April 2008: Equity & Justice Working Group (EJWG) in association with several other organizations- VOICE, the Innovators, Advancing Public Interest Trust, Coastal Development Partnership, Bangla Praxis- organized a peoples' dialogue on ' Impact of ADB finance policies and ADB backed projects in Bangladesh' at the National Press Club Auditorium in Dhaka.

The participating organizations presented a number of ADB financed projects as case like; Khulna-Jessore Drainage Project, Sundarban Biodiversity Conservation Project, Fulbari Coal Mining Project etc. which has created local level social tension and environmental disasters and finally considered as fail projects. The presenters pointed out that although ADB publicly advocates democracy, rule of law, human rights, poverty alleviation etc. but in Bangladesh it is obvious that ABD finance policies and loan conditionalities are reproducing poverty putting the country in the vicious cycle of indebtness. Following the presentation of the impacts of ADB finance projects and ADB Country Assistance and Program (CSP) the representatives of political party leaders and CSOs representatives expressed their views on ADB financing in Bangladesh. They also asked the government of Bangladesh to find out alternative funding sources other than ADB, the World Bank and IMF.

Mr Mahmudur Rahman Manna, law maker of Bangladesh Awami League-AL, said the country needs a strong political commitment for denying the hegemony of the international financial institutions; all political parties should work together to reach a consensus of avoiding IFIs loan and formulate internal and realistic national poverty reduction strategies basing on incoming remittances and domestic resources. But irony is that our political leaders even many NGO/CSO representatives don't feel comfort criticizing finance and loan policies of the IFIs.

In relation to ADB's five years CSP, from 2006 to 2010, Dr. Hasan Mahmud, another AL law maker, pointed out that ADB will no more finance on forestry and biodiversity, rural livelihoods development, clean fuel development etc. which clearly indicates that ADB country CSP is not poverty focused; it's development strategy is strongly influenced by the neo-liberal economic policies. We should raise this concern in the ADB's high level policy meetings.

Please download the, Press release , Media Coverage.

Power Point Presentation are :

	Subject	Click	Presented By
1	ADB & it’s Strategy in Bangladesh: 2006-2010		Md Shamsuddoha
2	Primary Education Development in Bangladesh; Sub-sector Wide Approach (SWAP)		Sabbir Bis Shums
3	Unmasking ADB on KJDRP issue and Formation of Multi stakeholder Forum (MSF)		Kazi Zaved Khalid Pasha Joy
4	ADB activities in Bangladesh: Who Own & who lost.		Mustofa Kamal

Online Media Coverage:

22 March 2008: A press conference at  Dhaka Reporters Unity, Dhaka

Dhaka 22 March 2008: Today the Equity & Justice Working Group (EJWG) organized a press conference on  “Formulation Process of National Budget and Inclusion of Priority issues in the 2nd PRSP” at Dhaka Reporters Unity, Dhaka.

Md Aminul Haque policy researcher- EJWG presented the key note paper while Mr. Rezaul Karim Chowdhury Convener of EJWG moderated the conference. Among others, Mr. Shahdat Islam Chowdury , Mustofa Kamal, Md Shamsuddoha of EJWG participated in the press conference and took part in the discussion .

Please download the Position paper , Press release and Power Point Presentation. Media Coverage.

Dhaka 24 February 2008: Today the Equity & Justice Working Group (EJWG) organized a national dialogue on ' Impact PRSP and Sovereignty in Development Planning' at the National Press Club Auditorium in Dhaka. .

Dr. Tofail Ahemd, country's renowned social scientist, presided over the dialogue session while Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Convener EJWG, moderated smooth functioning of the dialogue. Among others, Jatiya Party law maker and ex-parliament member GM Quadar, Awami League law maker Dr. Hasan Mahmud and BNP leader Dr. Rizvi Ahmed participated in the national dialogue and discussed on PRSP and its implementation impact in Bangladesh.

Syed Aminul Haque, Policy Researcher -Equity and Justice Working Group, presented the key note paper and argued that although the very objectives of PRSP was to bring-down country's poverty situation but following the implementation of PRSP, country’s poverty situation has risen enormously. Syed Aminul, explaining the existing poverty situation and country's development policies, questioned the way of PRSP implementation as it only satisfied the requirement of IFIs hegemony, didn't implemented anything that would contribute to the poverty reduction in real sense.

BNP leader Dr. Rizvi Ahmed said, we don’t need to listen donors' advice; for poverty reduction country needs its own long-term development planning. All political parties should work together to reach the goal. In this relation, Dr. Hasan Mahmud signifies the involvement of political party leaders in the preparation of country’s future development strategies.

Mrs. Shahin Anam of Manusher Janno Foundation pointed out that, government is going to finalize the second PRSP which of course should be poverty focus not only to satisfy the needs of country's development partners.

Mr. GM Quadar pointed out that our political leaders and bureaucrats should be made responsible for the negative consequences of market liberalization and mismanagement of foreign loans and aids. He also said that foreign aided projects are treated as a bonanza for few corrupted bureaucrats and political leaders. That’s why they always try to support donor’s activities in our country. 

Please download the press release , position paper ,Presentation Media Coverage and photos.

Online Media Coverage:

		Click here to Listen  Bangladesh Betar News about Seminar on PRSP

21st February 2008, Dhaka. Today the Equity and Justice Working Group (EJWG) brought out a rally to pay respect to the martyrs  of the International Mother Language Day, during 1952 in this day students of East Bengal (the then East Pakistan) lied their life in fighting against colonial rulers the then Pakistani regime to establish the right to have our mother language Bengali as state language. In fact this was first struggle sowed the seeds of liberation movement which gradually turned Bangladesh as an independent country after nine month of bloody liberation war during 1971.  EJWG believes that now the increasing foreign debt which is per person US $ 152 and the conditionality of the debtors making the country dependent with increase nature of pauperization (33 % of the country’s total population under poverty line) which is a form of neo colonialism for exploiting (Bangladesh pays US $ 1.50 back for each of the US $ 1 grant aid / soft loan) our labor and natural resources. Members of EJWG laid flowers wreath in the central martyr’s monument and pledge to fight against this neo colonialism to free the country from external debt. For more on EJWG please visit www.equitybd.org

Political Economy of Bali Climate Conference
A Roadmap of Climate Commercialization

Dhaka, 31 January 2008: Equity and Justice Working Group-EJWG, in association with the Global Economic Justice Forum has organized a seminar tilted ‘Political Economy of UNFCCC climate Conference: A Roadmap of Climate Commercialization at WVA Auditorium, Dhaka. Speakers at the seminar critically reviewed the Bali climate negotiation; intended to provide an insight to the peoples, especially country’s policy makers, negotiators, on the recent dimension of mitigating climate change impacts. Md Shamsuddoha, General Secretary of the EJWG presented the key-note paper. Awami League’s ex-parliamentarian of Mr KM Jahangir, environment secretary Dr. Hasan Mahmud, BNP’s  ex-parliamentarian and agricultural secretary Mr. Samsuzzaman Dudu,  Communication specialist of the Climate Change Cell of the Government of Bangladesh Mr. Nasimul Haque spoke in the seminar.  Leaders from country’s mainstream political parties expressed their political views and commitment for tackling the impact of climate on the people’s life and livelihoods.

In the key-note paper discussion Md. Shamsuddoha pointed that the Bali Climate talks evidently proved that the industrialized countries are not ready to compromise their consumerism and development pace for the sake of global interest. In the Bali climate debate the USA and the advanced developing nations both have kept ways open for carbon emission; although the consequences of delay in the process of reducing emission will result more climatic catastrophes and social imbalances and massive economic collapse in the least developed countries like Bangladesh. In the negotiation process LDCs were within the group of G 77 and China but ‘the area of interest’ of LDCs and advanced developing countries were different. LDCs, being the majority in G 77 and China, could not put forward their concerns, e.g. emission mitigation, more adaptation fund, fund based technological support for capacity building etc as these demands contradicts with the interest of G 77 leaders. He argued that LDCs should have separate platform in relation to climate change negotiation.

 Dr. Hasan Mahmud said we should put forward ‘polluter pay, exploiter pay principle’; historically rich countries are responsible for leading climate change so they should pay for this.  Mr Nasimul Haque said, time is not in our hand, now climate change is not only an environmental problem, it’s a development challenge. We must reach to a political consensus for solving the climate change impact.

Mr. K.M Jahangir, in his concluding speech, said, yes we need technological support for ‘less carbon’ industrial and economic activities but we don’t want to be the victims of technology trading. Like ‘right to information’, we also should have rights on technologies.

Among others Dr. Ferdous Begum from  DEBTEC, Zayed Iqbal from Bangladesh Krishok Federation, AHM Bazlur Rahman from BNNRC and Mustafa Kamal Akanda from EJWG spoke in the seminar.

Please download the press release , position paper ,media coverage, Presentation and photos,

Online Media Coverage :

Dhaka 26th January 2008. Equity and Justice Working Group (EJWG)  today at 11 am has organized a human chain in front of national parliament house Dhaka with a banner of call that “ A Bangladesh without World Bank, IMF and ADB is possible “. The gathering have been participated by hundreds of people, where Md. Shamuddoha, Secretary General, Mustafa Kamal Akanda, AHM Bazlur Rahman, of EJWG, Fakrul Ferdous of DCI, Arzu man Ara Begum of Kihsani Shova, Hossne Ara Begum of Bhasoman Nari Sromik Union and Shamima Akter of ASWO given speeches.
The speakers mentioned present trend of high inflation in the country and miseries of poor and common people. They have mentioned this problems are the aggregate result of the conditionality of those international financial institutions, now Bangladesh has a per capita foreign debt of taka 10,500 but while Bangladesh has to pay US $ 1.50 for each of US $ 1 grant aid. Due to the conditionality government has to withdraw especially subsidies in agriculture and public distribution system which the nation has had in before. In fact which have had pave the path for the business interest of multinational companies and developed countries. Annually Bangladesh received US $ 1.5 billions as loan and aid while Bangladesh receive remittance of around US $ 5 billions, if Bangladesh decide easily can deny those debt and domination, now politically Bangladesh needs to decide its own agenda rather then listening to those international financial institution.

Download the leaflet (English) (Bangla), press release, photos and media coverage. There are several activities being organized on 30th and 31st January 2008 in Dhaka as a part of Global Economic Justice Forum, Rezaul Karim Chowdhury convener of the EJWG has given an interview in popular TV channel 1 , which was broadcasted on 30th January 2008 at 8.40 am.

On 18 December 2007 COAST Trust and Equity and Justice Working Group jointly organized a press conference on "Commercialization of Climate in UN Climate Conference in Bali and Ignoring the interest of LDCs " at reporters Unity, Dhaka. In this Press conference COAST and EJWG has present there position paper on review of Bali conference on climate change .
Md. Shamsuddoha, Secretary General of Equity & Justice Working Group (EJWG) presented the key note paper and Mr. Rezaul Karim Chowdhury Executive Director, COAST Trust and Convener of EJWG moderated the conference. Mr. Shahdat Islam Chowdury(Mintu) ,Mustofa Kamal member of EJWG and Director of DCI Fakrul Ferdos was present there on the conference.

Salauddin Bablu senior reporter of The Daily Inquilab , Tanim Ahmed Assistant Editor New Age, Jhumur Bari of ETV who were covering the Bali conference at Indonesia and Mr. Amanur Rahman of Action Aid were presnt in the press conference and shared their experiences.

Download the Position Paper, Press release, Media Coverage and Photos.

Download the audio of FM Radio: Liston an exclusive interview with  RadioToday about Bali UN Climate Change Conferenc of Mr. Rezaul Karim Chowdhury .
Online Media Coverage:

COAST Trust and Equity and Justice Working Group organized Jointly a press conference on  inauguration of a new  Booklet for " Climate Change impact and Disaster Vulnerabilities in the Coastal Areas of Bangladesh " at reporters unit, dhaka. Dr. Ibrahim, Dr. tofayl Ahammed, Dr. Fardusi Begum inauguration the book .

In this Press conference COAST and EJWG has present there position paper on climate change impact , there demands and some recommendation. Member of Equity & Justice Working Group AHM Bazlur Rahman presented the key note paper.

Download the Bali Declaration on international Financial Institution, Booklet , Position Paper, Press release, Media Coverage and Photos.

At afternoon: A Humain Chain is organize by EJWG and COAST font of National Parliament House. ( click on image to view in large)