Mission for Poverty-Free Nation

“ I don’t want to live in this Dhaka city , I want to go back to my village! Please bring me….” is the saying of a river eroded 65 years old woman, is living unhealthy congested slum. After flooded the house and property in deep of the Jamuna River she came Dhaka with son. The vision was, Dhaka will give a golden life, but is facing more problems and sufferings. She never faces such exposed poverty and human cheatings! Why it is happening? Who are making the tribulations?

Professor Yunus says, “Poverty is caused by the failure at the conceptual level but general people are doing excellent efforts.”  After wining Nobel Prize of Prof. Yonus Bangladesh is empowered in the mission to make a poverty-free nation. All efforts now see positive vision of wining. Many efforts have been taken by government, NGOs, CSOs and private sectors. The sequences of government effort is ‘Three year target’, ‘five years plan’ and the latest one the “PRSP” (Poverty Reduction Strategy Plan) at national  level. Government has made the plan of action, the civil society, NGO and private sectors are supporting for the best success. But still now we did get minimum good result.

The positive sign of the PRSP of Bangladesh is the planning was done by national expert who are experienced on local reality. Even though it is not enough, there is guide about proper using of local resource for local development. The most weakness of the strategy is, not to involve and inform the general people. Major part has done and still now implementing with bureaucratic views and angles. The situation demand to initiate the “Public Movement Against Poverty”. But the authority failed to initiative such desired public participation in development process.

This is the time to review the commitment and positions particularly the policy address of 2004 – 2007 of government. It is needed to spread the development plans from official files to public level that general people can join with the entire process. Although the essential matters have been done by avoiding political awareness and participation. We can overcome this weakness by involving and inspiring grassroots people particularly grassroots youth and leaders.

We have must to find the cause and change our egos. We have much find the cause and solution, why general people so far, the ministers, political leaders even parliamentary members don’t know the PRSP and research feedback. National debates both in policy level, media and grassroots level could be effective for making mass people participation. However public events on PRSP monitoring could be change way of implementation.

Anti corruption movement, ensuring good governance, giving priority to public services as well as involving the mass people with the process are the straight ways for national success. Otherwise the theme, “Unlocking the potential: National Strategy for Accelerated Poverty Reduction” would be react reversely in our national lives and will bring more suffering.

Shahjahan Siraj
Editor, UnnayanNews

30 May, 2007