EquityBD

Donors are hardly reliable: Declare road map of five year planning
Civil society termed BDF the donor’s conspiracy of making the country more indebted : Donors are hardly reliable, Declare preparation road map for five year planning

Dhaka, 11th February 2010 : Today EquityBD, a network of right based CSOs,organized a seminar titled “ PRS II : Sovereign Development Planning” in Dhaka Reporters Unity  where they termed the upcoming Bangladesh Development Forum as the ‘Debt Development Forum’ which in fact is the planning of making the country more indebted. EquityBD urged the government to drop the donor driven Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) process and urged to declare a participatory road map for the preparation of next five year plan by 2010-2011. Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Convener EquityBD, moderated the seminar, while Syed Aminul Haque made the key note presentation. Md. Shamsuddoha, Mostafa Kamal Akanda and Dr. Sohel Iqbal of the group also spoke on the subject matter.  Among others, ex State minister and the Treasurer of BNP Abdul Mannan, ex state minister Abul Hasan Chowdhury, ex Minister KM Jahangir Hossain of Awami Leugue, ex-member of parliament and present advisor to the BNP chairperson Shamsuzzaman Dudu, Ahmed Swapan of VOICE, Ziaul Haque Mukta of CSRL, journalist Kaiser Rahaman and Salahuddin Bablu spoke in the seminar.

Ex minister Abul Hasan Chowdhury mentioned local government and grass root democracy is the only way of country’s own local resource mobilization. Ziaul Haque Mutka said that forming Local Consultative Group to oversee and guide different ministries of the government of Bangladesh is the clear violation of diplomatic code of conduct as stated in the Vienna Convention. He urged the government to provide market protection of agricultural product. Ex minister KM Zahangir Hossain mentioned, in fact civil bureaucrats do not want members of parliaments to participate in PRS preparation. He mentioned that there is no alternative other then giving importance to railway and river route. Ex minister Abdul Mannan mentioned that in fact there are differences in what is in rhetoric and in fact policy outlines, the government must have to be sincere in agriculture development.

Please dowmload all related file of the papers presented in the seminar (i) PRS II : step in as usual business [ English ] (ii) sovereign democratic responsible financing charter, [ Bangla ] (iii) vision 2021 vs. debt dependent second PRS
[ Bangla ] (iv) Critical review of sector wise policy matrix [ ] Bangla ] , photos andmedia coverage.

04 February 2010: Today Equity and Justice Working Group Bangladesh (EquityBD), an alliance of rights based organizations, called the government to establish country’s sovereign authority on the management of Multi Donor Trust Fund ( MDTF) which is going to be operationalized soon for the climate change adaptation in Bangladesh. EquityBD made this call through organizing a press conference in Dhaka Reporter’s Unity today.

In this press conference, EquityBD claimed that since the establishment of MDTF in September 2008, the major contributors to this fund, the UK government, has been creating pressure to the government to channel this fund through the World Bank. DfID is insisting, against the wishes of the NGO/CSOs in Bangladesh, that the World Bank manages the trust fund. We should not allow the Bank to manage the fund in Bangladesh because the Bank has a long history of imposing economic conditions on developing countries, fuelling unjust debts and promoting dirty development. In contrast, there are examples of funds being managed in Bangladesh in democratic and transparent ways, with active participation by civil society, said the speakers. 

In a written press statement, secretary general of EquityBD, Md Shmasuddoha, claimed that channeling climate funds through the WB is a trickery of the British government to weaken the negotiating point under the UNFCCC, where the developing country Parties are opposing involvement of any IFIs in the management of climate finance.

Among others, Mustafa Kamal Akanda, Sanat Kumar Bhowmik and Dr Sohel Iqbal of EquityBD were present in the press conference.

Please download the press release [Bangla] [English] , position paper [ Bangla ], and photos

Bangladesh should quit G77, Lead the LDCs and MVCs

Dhaka, 27th December 2009: Today, EquityBD, a network of NGOs / CSOs in Bangladesh, called the government of Bangladesh to quit G 77 and China block in climate negotiation and to build an alternative alliance with the least developed and most vulnerable countries (MVCs). EquityBD placed this demand through organizing a press briefing in the National Press Club, Dhaka while they also discussed the substances of Copenhagen Accord.  Bangladesh should quit G77 and China block which is strongly dominated by the interest of the advanced developing countries like China and India. These advanced developing countries, also the emerging big emitters of the green house gases, often ignores the interest of the LDCs and MVCs. Therefore, Bangladesh, being a MVC as well as LDC must lead and strengthen an independent political alliance of LDCs and MVCs in the climate negotiation.

The press conference titled “Peoples’ Struggle in Copenhagen and the Accord of Discord” was moderated by Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, while Md. Shamsuddoha, the Secretary General of EquityBD described the expectation and outcome of Copenhagen climate summit. He also discussed the political dynamics of negotiation in Copenhagen summit. Among others Mustafa Kamal Aknada of EquityBD , journalist Kawsar Rahman of Janakanta , Sujan Mehedi of Channel 1 and Ahmed Swapan of VOICE also shared their views and experiences on the recently held climate summit of the UNFCCC. Speakers also condemned the repressive role of Danish government on the NGO and CSO representative in the mass rallies and procession on 12th and 16th December; they demanded release of several hundreds climate activists who are still imprisoned in Danish jail.

Please download the press release [Bangla] [English] , position paper, photos and Media coverage

Online Media coverage:

The world leaders from 192 countries will meet in Copenhagen, Denmark, from December 7 to 18, to negotiate an agreement at the COP 15 of the UNFCCC tokeep global temperatures below catastrophic levels. This level will be congruence with commitment to reduce 40 percent carbon emission by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050 and keep the rise of world temperature within 2 degrees Celsius.

Addressing the summit thousand of CSO (Civil Society Organization), Activists and individuals across the globe will participate that will contribute to draw the attention in favor of poor and developing countries notions towards a sustainable coping of Climate Change impacts.

EquityBD (Equity and Justice Working Group Bangladesh) also a part of global CSO will participate and introducing the following events in Copenhagen in favor the country Bangladesh to draw the global community attention;

1. On 11th December “Held Joint Seminar in Klimaforum09”
EquityBD will facilitate a seminar in Klimaforum09 titled “Climate Induced Migrants: Need to new UN Protocol as Universal Natural Person”. This program has jointly organized with the assistance of international CSO like SAPPE, LDC Watch, L’Observatoire and CSRL. The seminar will give the focus mainly to create a new protocol for migrant or displaced people those would be created due to Climate Change.

Please download the documents related seminar   Position paper Joint Call , Online Signature form

2. On 14th December “Seminar with LDC Watch”
EquityBD will participate in an international seminar with LDC (Least Developing Countries) Watch titled “Civil Society Position of LDCs”. This seminar will facilitate detail discourse on the climate change impact on the developing countries and claim their position with demand.

Please download the documents related seminar    Position paper

3.   From 9-16th December “Photo Exhibition on Climate Change ImpactBangladesh
EquityBd will also introduce a photo exhibition title “ Bangladesh : The Ground Zero of Climate Change” that will be held at 11 am, Wednesday,  9th and continue up to 16th December 2009, at Purple Hall 1,  DGI Byen, Kodybyan, near Central Station, Copenhagen, Denmark. EquityBD has jointly organized this event with the association of CSRL and Saptahik. This exhibition will exposed the scenario of climate change impact and adaptation activities in Bangladesh

Please see the photos of exhibition   Invitation letter Exhibation Photos

Five steps have been propsoed make it transperent and policticallly participatory

PRS II : Poverty Reduction Target Questionable

Dhaka 22nd October 2009 : Today in a press conferfence EquityBD, a network of civil society and NGOs, raised concern on mismatch of poverty reduction target, GDP growth and resource allocation. They also proposed to translate the document in Bangla and urged the government to discuss this national strategy in parliamentary, with the political parties and in district levels. The press conference titled “ Is PRS II politically pro poor : PRS II a document of business as usual” was moderated by Mostafa Kamal Akanda, while key presentation was given by Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, complemented by Md. Shamsuddoha, Sayed Aminul Haque and Dr. Sohel Iqbal also present in the conference.

Sparkers in the press conference praised government’s step for placing the document for parliamentary discussion and declaration that they will go for five year plan after next two years. Speakers urged government to consider poverty reduction as a political mobilization. At the end of press conference EquityBD convening committee members thanks all the participants.

Please download the press release [Bangla] [English] , photos and Multimedia Presentation and media coverage.

15 October, International Rural Women Day 2009

Implementation of the National Health Policy require grater Accountability, Transparency and Functional decentralization of country’s health sector

Dhaka 15 October 2009: The implementation of newly formulated ‘National Health Policy’ will not be possible unless grater accountability and transparency of this sector ensured – speakers said in a round table discussion on the Day of International Rural Women Day. In line with the global theme ‘Claim your Right to Health and Well-being!”, the International Rural Women Day Observation Committee organized this seminar titled ‘National Health Policy 2009: Rural Women and their Right to Health’ in Dhaka Press Club. Mr Swapon Guha, Chairperson of the Observation Committee, moderated the seminar while Atikul Islam Chowdhury and Mustafa Kamal Akanda of EquityBd, made the key note presentation which highlighted the real scenario of health services in local level.

In a welcome speech, Sarmin Islam Daisy, member the Day Observation Committee said that rights and access of rural women to the basic health services is a critical concern for the country therefore the global theme of IRWD in 2009 “Claim your Right to Health and Well-being!’ is correspondingly important for the country. Rezaul Karim Chowdury of EquityBd said, since 2000 the National Day Observation Committee in Bangladesh has been observing the day to highlight invaluable contribution of the rural women to household food security, development and peace

Member of the Parliament, Mr Zunaed Ahmed said the State should not bypass its responsibilities and obligations as described in the Constitution. He assured that the pros and cons of the National Health Policy and recommendations of this seminar will be discussed in the National Parliament. Another Member of the Parliament Principal Md Shah Alam said, government should discuss this policy with the common mass before its formulation. He also pointed out ‘centralization of health administration’ as the major obstacle of reaching health services to the poor people. It’s an urgency to solve this problem through its proper decentralization to the local government authorities.

Among others Tajul Islam of FNB, Sarder Arif from Action Aid, Shamima Akter and Abul Hossion from Labour Union spoke in the seminar.

Please download the press release [Bangla] [English] , photos and Multimedia Presentation.