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Bismillahir Rahmaneer Rahim

Distinguished colleagues, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Aassalamu Alaikum

A warm welcome to you all

As you are aware, two tragic incidents at Nawabkatra and Begunbari in the capital has led
to the death of over one hundred fifty people of different ages. Many are still moaning in
pain from severe burns and injuries. The entire country is in a state of deep shock and
mourning. May Allah Rabbul Alameen give us the courage and fortitude to overcome this
national tragedy..

The warning signals underlying these two accidents must not be lost sight of. We have to
exercise extreme caution so that such calamities do not befall us in the future. We have to
take measures for the prevention of such accidents in the future. We have to find ways
and means to limit the loss of life and property at the minimum levels possible should
such calamities befall us in the future. This will require that immediate steps be taken for
the deployment of required personnel and provision of essential equipment. I am
requesting that adequate money for this be provided under the new budget.

Ladies and Gentlemen

Since the handing over of the responsibilities of the government by the BNP-led alliance
in 2006, we all have witnessed a continuous degradation of Bangladesh in all aspects. So
much so, that the nation is now in the grips of a serious crisis. The incompetence,
despotism, poor governance, corruption, politics of division and discord and serious
deterioration of the law and order situation has further deepened the crisis and has spelt
total failure of governance and the government.

We are most concerned by the systematic assault on the very institutions that are the
pillars of a just and democratic country. The independence of the judiciary and the
effectiveness of the bureaucracy have been totally undermined by partisan interventions
and intimidations. The media is under serious threat, the Parliament has been rendered
ineffective and the political culture in the country has been vitiated.

Energy crisis has led to the closure of industries, fertilizer factories and the once
flourishing garments industry is under serious difficulties. Due to the erroneous policies
of the government, overseas employment of Bangladeshis has been on a steep decline and
many are returning home empty handed.
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Ladies and gentlemen

None of these augur well for the country. There is a real danger that the economy will
falter and collapse in the coming years. Our politics is for the welfare of the people, and
we do not wish to see them go through days of economic and social hardships.

With that in view, I have decided to place before the nation our views and thoughts on the
next budget, primarily reflecting our desire to extend cooperation to the government. We
have offered such co–operation on various issues of national interest in the past as well,
but without any avail.

Unfortunately, the attitude and behavior of the members of the treasury bench do not
provide a congenial environment for healthy discussions on matters of national interest in
the parliament.. I have therefore decided to offer our thoughts and proposals through
you.

I believe minimal good intentions on the part of the government to pay heed to our
proposals will put this government back on track.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s Philosophy for Economic Development of

Bangladesh
The economic history of independent Bangladesh is four decades old. The first three and
half years of this period, ruled by the Awami League and its later day metamorphosis
known as BAKSAL, were depicted by a Bangladeshi economist as ‘the lost moments’.
Some also termed the new country as a bottomless basket. During those years, in the
name of socialism, state capitalism became the cornerstone of all economic policies
which created unbridled opportunities for squandering national wealth and resources. A
whole new class of rent-seeking individuals and groups emerged who were least
concerned about fostering productive activities in the economy.
The emergence of President Ziaur Rahman during late 1975, led to the dismantling of the
autocratic one-party rule of the Awami-BAKSALites, and the lofty ideals of multi-party
democracy and politics of participatory economic development were put back into
practice. Development initiatives were decentralized at the local levels, and beneficiary
participation in rural infrastructure construction was promoted. However, during the
subsequent autocratic nine years of General Ershad’s rule, the processes set in motion by
President Zia were reversed and a system of crony capitalism was forged to support the
autocratic regime. The nation still continues to suffer the adverse effects of that.
BNP’s overarching philosophy for economic development of Bangladesh is distinctly
different from what was espoused by both the Awami- BAKSAL and Ershad
governments. It firmly believes that policies and programs for economic growth in
Bangladesh must be underpinned by the following premises:
 private entrepreneurship, initiatives and innovativeness, supported by an enabling
public policy regime, are potent agents for economic growth;
 broad-based employment and income generation is essential for poverty
alleviation;
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 affirmative action is necessary to mainstream the relatively disadvantaged

segments of the population irrespective of gender, caste, creed, religion or ethnic
origin;
 equitable income distribution is important not only for fair play and justice but
also for expanding domestic market;
 efficient and environment friendly production of goods and services geared
towards meeting the increasing demands in the large domestic market as well as
for exports are important elements in developing a self reliant economy; and
 complementarities in the use of public and privately (individual/
group/cooperative) owned resources have the potential to enhance resource use
efficiencies.

BNP firmly believes that agriculture, industries and the services sectors will have to play
increasingly important roles in achieving the desired economic development objectives.
Bangladesh being a highly populated country with nearly 80% of its population being
rural, we don’t see any alternatives to achieving food autarky, and diversification of
agriculture into higher value crops and livestock products by exploiting the unrealized
potential in the agriculture sector. Likewise, we do not see any alternative to building a
knowledge based society and interfacing with the global knowledge economy as an
instrument for the pursuit of the above stated development priorities..
BNP, therefore, believes that skills formation and technology development through
sustained public investments in education, research, and information and communication
technology would be pivotal for achieving the development objectives outlined above.

Socio-economic Development Under two BNP-led Governments

BNP had the unique opportunity of being the first elected government (1991-96) under a
pluralist democracy, following the demise of a nearly decade long autocratic rule. Major
policy and structural reforms to open up and liberalize the economy, rationalization of the
duties and taxation regimes, introduction of VAT, establishing the Securities and
Exchange Commission for developing the capital market are a few of the examples of the
epoch making reforms that were carried out.
Notwithstanding the obstacles (close to 250 hartal days, street agitations, parliament
boycott etc) imposed by the then opposition party, sound macroeconomic management
and sector investments yielded an annual GDP growth rate in the neighborhood of 4%,
poverty reduced at an annual rate of about 1%, stipends and free tuition for girls
dramatically increased their participation in Secondary schools (from 34% in 1990 to
47% in 1996 and 53% in 2000); total fertility rate decreased to 3.3% (1997), compared to
6.3% earlier.
The achievements of the 1991-1996 government are widely acknowledged to have
ushered in an era of economic rejuvenation and progress and put in place the building
blocks for accelerated growth during the subsequent years.
The BNP led 4-party alliance government (2001-2006) further expanded, sharpened and
strengthened the economic development programs and reforms it had initiated during its
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previous tenure. Some of the key economic indicators at the last year (2006) of the
government are as follows:
 Highest ever GDP growth of 6.7% (average 5.7% pa)
 Inflation contained at 7.2% despite high international prices
 Budget deficit brought down to 3.7% (6.3% in 2001)1
 Foreign financing of deficit reduced to less than 1% of GDP
 National savings rate increased to 27% of GDP (22% in 2001)
 ADP allocations of 5.5% of GDP
 ADP expenditure of 79.5% of original and 90.6% of revised budgets
 Domestic investment steadily increased 25.3% of GDP
 Total FDI (2002-06) US$ 2671m (US$ 831m1997-2001)
 Incidence of poverty reduced to below 40% (1.8% per annum)
 Highest ever industrial sector growth of 10.8% (average 7.8%)
 Agricultural production increased by 5.03% (3.1% in 2000)
 Overseas workers’ remittances increased to US$4.8 billion (US$1.8 billion in
2001)2
 Degree of openness3 of the economy estimated at 43.3% ( 16.8% in 1991 and
33.4% in 2001)
 Extent of globalization4 of the economy estimated at 55.6% (24.9% in 1991 and
41.4% in 2001)

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina claims that during her previous government (1996-2001)
food self-sufficiency had been achieved. But this is farthest from truth because during
those five years average annual imports of rice were 2.4 million tons, with an import as
high as 5.5 million tons in 1998-99.
Clearly, the BNP led government of 2001-06 achieved much higher rates of GDP,
industrial and services sector growths, contained domestic inflation to substantially below
the double digit, maintained food security, increased employment opportunities at home
and facilitated overseas employment, substantially improved its position in the human
development index, successfully mitigated the post- MFA phase out crisis faced by the
ready made garments and, most importantly, made significant reductions in human
poverty.
The economy was poised for a take off to a higher level, and we believe that had the
process not been interrupted by the imposition of the army controlled unconstitutional
government on January 11, 2007, Bangladesh would have achieved and sustained a
growth level that would have been adequate for the country to have graduated to a
middle income country by the year 2015.
Unfortunately, however, most of the key macroeconomic indicators have significantly
worsened since 2006, and it will take well structured and sustained efforts in all fronts to
put the economy back on track.
1
including foreign grants. .
2
this was due to streamlining of the remittance facilities and procedures
3
value of exports and imports as % of GDP
4
all types of external flows as % of GDP
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The Catastrophe of January 11. 2007

Notwithstanding the pre-meditated anarchy and violent street agitations (leading to
merciless killings) by the Awami league and its cohorts, the nation was ready for the
elections to the Ninth Parliament rescheduled for January 22 nd, 2007. Catastrophe,
however befell the nation when Fakhruddin-Moinuddin usurped power and installed an
unconstitutional ‘Caretaker Government’ on January 11, 2007.
This illegal government, on the plea of eradicating corruption and improving law and
order and governance, embarked on a planned program of arrest, harassment, and
internment of people from all walks of life particularly politicians, political workers,
businesspeople, traders, professionals, students and labor leaders. Traditional rural
markets, human habitats and urban slum dwellings were demolished, thus disrupting the
lives and livelihoods of the poor people dependant on the rural and peri-urban informal
economies.
Large segments of the population who had earlier crossed the poverty barrier, were again
thrown back below the poverty line as a result of this unjustifiable and thoughtless action
of the then ‘caretaker Government’. According to World Bank estimates, nearly four
million poor people were thrown below the poverty line as a result of these actions. To
make things worse, uncontrolled general and food price inflation drove up the price of
rice, basic staple and wage good, to TK 45/kg, creating livelihood problems for millions
of poor as well as middle and low income families.

Seventeen Months of 14 Party Alliance Government: A Dismal Score Card

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gleefully boasted that the so-called one-eleven
‘government’ was the ‘harvest’ of her political movement and agitation. Subsequent
events proved how true she was, as she was able to collude with the unconstitutional
Fakhruddin-Moinuddin ‘caretaker government’ and had the 14-party alliance elected to
the 9th parliament at the general elections held on 29th December, 2008, the credibility of
which is still open to legitimate questions. .
The present government, sworn in on January 6, 2009, takes comfort in comparing its
performance so far with that of the post-one eleven ‘caretaker government’. But the
meaningful bench mark for comparison must be the achievements of the BNP
governments of 2001-2006 and with that of 1991-19996. I would now like to highlight
some of the outcomes of the 17 months of the present government in that light as well as
against the backdrop of their election promises.
Despite downturn in the prices of internationally traded commodities, the government has
failed to contain inflation which now has reached double digits. When I handed over
power to the caretaker government on October 27, 2006, the retail prices of coarse rice
was Taka 17/18 per kg, pulses (masur dal) Taka 60 per kg, soybean oil Taka 55 per liter
and imported powder milk Taka 380 per kg. Total inflation peaked at 7.17%, despite
high international prices.
At present, however, coarse rice sells at Taka 29-30 per kg (election pledge for Taka 10
per kg), pulses at Taka 85-120 per kg, soybean oil at Taka 80-85 per liter and imported
powder milk at Taka 520 per kg , although international prices are substantially lower
than what was faced by my government.
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Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina promised free distribution of fertilizers. Urea currently
sells at Taka 12 per kg, compared to Taka 6 per kg during my government, TSP amd
MOP at Taka 22-27 per kg, compared to Taka 15 per kg during my government. A
number of fertilizer factories have been shut down due to power shortages. Many farmers
complain that imported fertilizers are often adulterated and of low potency.
Exports during the first eight months of the current fiscal year went down by 3.25%
(4.96%, during the first six months) compared to the corresponding periods in the
previous fiscal year. To come at par with the last fiscal years exports, another US$ 7.2
billion in export earnings will be required, which does not seem plausible at this time.
Chronic energy crisis has precipitated this situation. The larger garments industries have
somehow managed to keep up their export productions by maintaining power supply with
their own generators, but many small and medium size units have not been able to do so
and productions have ceased. Power shortages have also interrupted and disrupted the
production schedule. In order to avoid cancellation due to delays in delivery, many
garment manufacturers have to resort to costly (US$ 6.5 per kg) airfreight of their
products.

Remittances by overseas workers are also coming down as the government has failed to
negotiate with the traditional manpower importers (Malaysia, Korea Saudi Arabia and
other Middle Eastern countries) for continued recruitment and retention of Bangladeshi
employees. Despite repeated assurances by the Prime Minister, the problem of Iqama
(employment contract) transfer for our migrant workers in Saudi Arabia hasn’t been
resolved. Consequently many of our overseas workers are returning at the end of their
contracts as they can not be reemployed. This problem is peculiar to the Bangladeshi
workers only.

This year total employment overseas in the four countries of Middle-east have come
down to a mere 56,275 (only 2255 in Saudi Arabia) compared to 419,355 (132,124 in
Saudi Arabia) two years ago.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) have declined alarmingly. According to a Bangladesh

Bank survey, FDI during January-June of 2009 declined by 40.61% compared to the
previous six months. The much heralded and highly expensive road show to attract FDI
was apparently an exercise in futility.

After fifteen months of inaction, the government suddenly decided to award contracts for
purchasing electricity from rental power generation units, without going through the
normal bidding process and responding to unsolicited bids. It would not be out of line to
suspect that an artificial power crisis was created by the vested interests surrounding the
ruling party to justify this so-called emergency procurement, flouting the letter and spirit
of the Public Procurement Regulations.

The Public Procurement Regulations, enacted by my government and internationally

acclaimed, to bring transparency and fair competition in public procurement of goods and
services, have been drastically amended to allow cronyism and rent seeking. The World
Bank and other development partners have objected to these changes, but without any
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avail. It is worrisome to note that the government is now contemplating to make changes
in the Telecom Regulatory Commission and, suspiciously enough, just when the
government is planning to give licenses for the profitable business in VOIP.

Law and order situation and rule of law has deteriorated alarmingly. Incidents of daylight
robberies and mugging, kidnapping, store break in, hijacking etc have become every day
affair. More than 50 higher education institutions have been closed sine die in the wake
of factional fights in the student groups aligned with the Awami League, on issues related
to procurement of goods and services, allocation of space in the student hostels,
admissions to academic programs and extortions of various types. There are also reports
of forcing girl students from colleges into immoral activities involving the powerful
political functionaries. Daily news papers abound with such news.

There is a sinister effort underway to muffle the voice of dissent, and the freedom of the
media is under ominous threat. One of the most widely viewed television channel has
been closed, the face-book on the internet has been banned, and just a few days ago
permission for a popular Bengali daily, Amar Desh, was revoked, its offices raided
during mid-night and the editor arrested on ridiculously flimsy grounds. Clearly and true
to the past history of the party in power, the government neither wants to hear nor read
the voices of dissent.

The wings of the Anti-corruption Commission, established by my government, have been

drastically clipped and its status as an independent constitutional body has been reduced
to be a lame duck. High Court judges are being appointed in a non-transparent way, writ
benches are being constituted with junior judges bypassing the senior and experienced
ones, and the Attorney General is interfering with the judicial process illegally and
immorally.

The various cases instituted against politicians by the Fakhruddin-Moinuddin

‘government’ are being disposed off administratively and on partisan grounds. So far
more than 5000 cases against Awami League leaders have been quashed, while only a
handful against BNP politicians. Convictions against many offenders have been set aside,
while more than 50,000 people accused of serious criminal offences including murder,
rape, extortion and corruption have been set free without the due process of law. All these
are raising serious and legitimate concerns about the neutrality of the judicial process,
equality of all in the eyes of law and about the potential for miscarriage of justice.

It seems that the present government is determined to demolish all the institutions that
guarantee good governance, rule of law, basic citizens’ rights and healthy democratic
processes.

We are concerned by the myopic nature of the government’s foreign policy. It is

inexplicably focused on adhering to the desires and demands of India, often to the
detriment of the national, territorial and socio-economic interests, and cultural and
emotional pride and aspirations of the people of Bangladesh. Our goodwill and friendship
for the people of India is unquestionable. We remember the support of the government
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and Indian people during our war of liberation. However, as it is with other countries of
this global village, we aspire to have mutually beneficial relationship with India on the
basis of sovereign equality, national pride, transparency and mutual respect and trust.

Keeping the above in view, we feel that the three agreements and a fifty point
memorandum of understanding executed during the recent visit of the Prime Minister to
India have been done with undue haste and without the required consultation with the
parliament, political parties and the people at large. These agreements and MOU have
ceded to India a number of privileges such as the use of Chittagong and Mongla ports,
land corridor through Bangladesh for the transportation of goods and services to and from
the territories of India, access to the fiber optic submarine cable in Bangladesh, and
import of 250 mw of electrical power.

We are not aware of how the incremental costs consequential to the implementation of
the agreements will be met. Catering to the needs of India will require large investments
in upgrading the facilities at the Chittagong and Mongla ports as well as at the border
land ports. The highways connecting the Indian border points with our port cities as well
as the Jamuna Bridge will have to be substantially upgraded to allow expanded and heavy
vehicular traffic.

We are not aware of what financial and economic benefits will accrue to Bangladesh and
whether the long standing problems such as the huge trade imbalances in favor of India,
tariff and non-tariff barriers to exports from Bangladesh, sharing of the international river
waters that flow through Bangladesh, India’s plans to construct at least six more
barrages/dams on rivers flowing through Bangladesh, delineation of land and maritime
boundaries, and wanton killings of Bangladeshis by the Indian Border Security Forces
will be addressed with the same vigor as those benefiting India.

Perspectives on the implementation of 2009-2010 Budget

The budget for 2009-2010 was based of an estimated GDP of Taka 686,730 crores. Total
expenditure was estimated at 16.6% of GDP, revenue earnings at 11.6% of GDP, non-
ADP expenditures at 12.1% of GDP, ADP expenditures at 4.4% of GDP, and a budget
deficit of 5%. Meanwhile poor implementation of the ADP has led to a 7% reduction in
the ADP to Taka 28,500 crore.

Notwithstanding the rhetoric, the objectives and targets of the last budget were modest in
view of the development imperatives. Considering the current state of the economy,
discussed earlier, one can not but come to the unfortunate conclusion that the
implementation of the budget by and large has failed to achieve the stipulated
macroeconomic and sector development objectives. It has not been able to arrest the
deterioration of the macroeconomic fundamentals following the completion of the tenure
of my government in October 2006.

Annual GDP growth is likely to be around 5.5%, which is substantially lower than the
government projection of 6.7%, as well as those of 2008-09 (5.9%), 2007-08 (6.2%),
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2006-07(6.4%) and 2005-06 (6.7%). More worrisome is the fact that for the first time
in 15 years GDP growth has fallen four years in a row. This doesn’t augur well for our
fundamental development objective of poverty alleviation.

We need to achieve and sustain a GDP growth of between 9-10%, at least for the next
five years in order to position Bangladesh for a leap into the ranks of a middle income
country. Given the Awami League government’s past record (average 5.34% during
1996-2001) and current performance it is unlikely that they will be able to achieve this
required GDP growth in the near future.

The momentum created by my previous government has been lost and it will take more
than rhetoric and grandiose promises to restart, warm up and accelerate the engines of
growth.

Growth objectives for the industrial sector, i.e. increasing its share in the GDP from 28%
to 40%, has not been achieved as the sector has grown at a paltry rate of around 4.5%,
compared to 10.8% in 2006. Despite all the talks of being an agriculture and farmer-
friendly government, agriculture has grown at a dismal rate. The budget objectives for
bringing down both the unemployment rate and the proportion of population below
poverty line to15% have also not been met. On the contrary, government surveys show
that some 2.8 million people have become unemployed, and the situation is likely to
further worsen because of loss of jobs overseas.

Proposals for creating a Taka 100 crore ‘Infrastructure Investment Fund’ didn’t
materialize due to a lack of clear principles and procedures for its implementation.
Likewise, a Taka 100 crore ‘Public Private Partnership Fund’ and a Taka 300 crore
‘Viability Gap Fund’ didn’t take off as these couldn’t attract private participation or
interest, perhaps because of faulty conceptualization, design and implementation
guidelines. Out of the Taka 700 crore ‘Climate Change Fund’, only Taka 46 crore has
been spent, again due to indecisions in the relevant government agencies and lack of
implementation plans.

The budget, to start with, was pessimistic about the performance of the export sector in
FY 2008-09 and predicted that its growth rate may come down to 12%. In fact export
growth during the previous fiscal year came down to 10.31%. Alarmingly enough, export
growth during the current fiscal year, has been estimated at (-) 3.2%. I would like you to
note that during the final year of my 2001-2006 government, export growth clocked at
23.1%.

Investments have been in doldrums. An investment level of 24.65% in 2006 has now
fallen below 24% of the GDP. Foreign Direct Investments during July-February of this
fiscal year was only US$232 million, as against US$722 million during the
corresponding time in the previous fiscal year.

We believe the Annual Development Program (ADP) of Taka 30,500 crores was the
minimum level that should have been budgeted. This was, however, reduced to Taka
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28,500 crores due to implementation constraints. In the first nine months of the fiscal
year only about 44% and, as of date, 60% of the revised allocations have been expended.
This is a dismal picture and represents an unacceptable degree of inefficiencies in the
planning and implementation mechanism.

The government has miserably failed to mitigate the key maladies that have hindered
development activities: chronic and deepening energy crisis, labor unrest and
anarchy in the ready made garments sector, urban congestion, deteriorating law
and order situation, unfettered rent seeking and hooliganism by those connected
with the ruling party, and an administration that is becoming increasingly
moribund due to political victimization of administrative and managerial staff at all
levels of the bureaucracy.

Some 400 officers have been set aside as Officers on Special duty, meaning they have no
assigned position, and many have been transferred to posts with no important functions or
deprived of due promotions to higher positions. Many are under constant threats,
surveillance and intimidations. This is not a congenial environment for the bureaucracy to
function effectively and efficiently.

Victimization of public servants on flimsy political grounds serves no useful purpose

other than demoralizing them and forcing them to come close to one political party or the
other as a safety-net. Public servants serve the cause of the Republic and have to loyally
carry out the programs of whichever political party holds the reigns of the government. If
this is misconstrued and penalized as political alignment, then most public servants will
loose their motivation for giving the nation their best under any political government.

A number of Ministries have an Advisor in addition to the Minister and State Minister.
This is inconsistent with the relevant provisions in the Constitution and has created
serious problems of coordination and chain of command in these Ministries. It is not clear
who has the primary responsibilities for decision making and conducting the day to
business, particularly with respect to the Minister and the Advisor. This dual-headed
structure has clearly contributed to delays in the decision making process as both the
incumbents are fighting for turf. The current stalemate in the Ministry of Education on
granting salary subventions to private schools and colleges is a case in point.

The Budget for the FY 2010-2011

As a responsible leader of the opposition and former Prime Minister, I do not take any
comfort and pleasure from the failure of the government in addressing the problems of
the country. I do, however, hope that the government, in formulating next years budget,
will take due cognizance of the problems that have contributed to the non-realization of
the objectives and physical targets of the current years budget.

As we all know, budgets for a developing country like Bangladesh is not simply an
exercise in arithmetic for balancing projected revenue earnings and expenditure. It must
be designed as an instrument for promoting welfare of the people, fostering socio-
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economic development and enhancing production of goods and services. Allocation of

resources to available alternatives must be guided by the principle of most efficient
application of limited resources among sectors of clearly defined priorities. Within this
conceptual framework and guiding principles, my specific proposals are provided below.

Power and Energy. The present government has been talking of its grandiose plans for
new electricity generation. However nothing has happened so far except for the recent
initiatives for setting up rental power units, the procurement of which is being done in
violation of established norms. We are concerned that the high purchase price (Taka 14 to
16 per unit) of power from the proposed rental units will, in the absence of substantial
subsidies to PDB, result in much higher tariff to the users, thereby affecting the
profitability of the industries sector, particularly the small and medium enterprises and
the agriculture sector, apart from causing hardship to household consumers.

Should the government decide to provide subsidies, in the coming year alone it will entail
an estimated Taka 7,000-9,000 crore, which is more than triple the total allocations for
(Tk.2600 crore) for the last fiscal year, and is likely to be higher than the total allocations
for the coming fiscal year. Various prevailing subsidies account for a substantial portion
of our public expenditure. This additional burden of subsidy will entail reduced
allocations for other equally important sectors of the economy. The government’s willful
delays to justify an unsolicited and shady procurement of these rental units will cause this
wastage of scarce resources.

The Government has entered into an Agreement with Russia for establishing a 1000 MW
nuclear power station. It is still in very early stages and the details are yet to be worked
out. While we have no objections to this in principle, and look upon this as a longer term
solution to our power and energy problem, I would, however, like to raise a safety related
issue. Bangladesh being a densely populated country, it will be imperative to ensure that
full-proof safety measures are enforced to protect the population against any eventualities
arising from the use and handling of radioactive materials, particularly with respect to the
disposal of nuclear wastes. In the US a ten mile exclusion area surrounding a nuclear
plant is required where no human habitation is allowed. Yet, the world has witnessed
human miseries of untold proportions resulting from accidents even under conditions of
state-of-the art technology and high levels of technical and operational expertise.

I, therefore, suggest that instead of rushing into the proposed project, more as a stunt and
palliative, the government should first carefully evaluate relevant financial, economic,
technical, operational and safety related issues, while concentrating on economically
defensible near term solutions of the power and energy crisis.

Without discounting the importance of establishing new capacities and exploring

alternative energy sources such as nuclear, solar, wind, geothermal etc., I would,
however, like to point out that it should be possible to generate and feed into the national
grid an estimated 700-800 MW of additional electricity within 7-8 months through major
overhaul, repairs and routine maintenance of some 40 units that are 20 years old.
Enhancing the capacities of the distribution sub-stations will also allow smoothening the
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supply of electricity. These would be definitely preferable solutions in the interim

compared to paying high prices to rental units. We suggest that the government considers
this and other such options for mitigation of the problem in the near term, in tandem with
planned investments for generating additional capacities for the future.

We suggest that the proposed budget gives top priority to exploration of new gas reserves
in order to ease the supply of gas for power generation as well as for fertilizer production.
Towards that end, the technical and financial capabilities of Petro-Bangla should be
suitably enhanced. Optimum use of our national reserves of coal for power generation
should be ensured by expediting extraction of coal, albeit with appropriate measures for
mitigating the environmental hazards as well as for rehabilitation and compensation of
the affected people in the mining areas.

Education. The achievements of my two previous Governments in the field of education

have been widely recognized nationally and internationally. Our budgets gave highest
allocation for the education sector. Our policies were focused on expanding institutional
capacities for both general and technical/vocational education, ensuring gender equity,
enhancing quality of education at all levels and ensuring that poverty will not be an
impediment to access.

As a result, net enrollments at Primary schools reached over 95%, proportion of girl
students at primary, secondary and higher secondary levels increased to over 50%,
quality of primary and secondary school teachers at entry was ensured, teachers’ salaries
and benefits were enhanced, pass rates and quality at public examinations spectacularly
improved, vocational and technical education (including computer science) in secondary
schools and madrashas was strengthened, 24 polytechnic institutes, including three for
women, were established, and implementation of a project for establishing vocational
schools at upazillas had started.

Under the aegis of a publicly funded but autonomous Quality Education Foundation,
nearly 50 model English medium schools were established in some districts and
upazillas, but sadly enough, the present government has withdrawn support on the
Foundation.

Bangladesh allocates about 2.5% of its GDP for education which is lowest in the region.
Moreover, nearly 80-90% of the funds are used for salaries, wages and infrastructure
development, leaving very little for teachers’ training, purchase of learning materials,
equipment and teaching aides. We suggest that future allocations should be increased and
expenditures rationalized to address these problems.

Public and private universities have expanded significantly, yet existing capacities allow
only about 4-5% of the eligible aspirants to be able secure admissions to the universities.
Moreover, there is now a serious shortage of well qualified and experienced teachers for
higher level teaching and research. With World Bank assistance, my government
prepared a 20-year strategic plan for expansion and qualitative improvements in
university education. We expect adequate funds to be allocated for its implementation of
 13

this project. I also propose allocations for a dedicated fund of Tk 200 crore for overseas
training of university teachers. A rigorous selection of awardees based on merit and
appropriate incentives for their return upon completion of their higher studies must be
ensured.

Science Education, Research and Development. These aspects of the education sector
have suffered benign neglect, and student numbers in science subjects at the secondary
and higher secondary schools have been declining. There are a number of science and
agricultural research institutions which suffer due to insufficient funds for research as
most allocations are exhausted on salaries and wages. My proposals for this important
sub-sector of education are as follows:
 One-percent of the industrial GDP should be allocated for improving science and
technology research and one-percent of the agricultural GDP should be allocated
for agricultural research and development;
 Establish (strengthen where already existing)Technical Teachers Training
Institutes at the Divisional level to improve the quality of teachers at the upazilla
Vocational and Technical Institutes,;
 Set up a Tk. 650 crore Academic Innovation Fund for improving university level
research and training, and for development of specialized libraries; and
 Allocate funds for developing learner-friendly science text-books, audio-visuals,
and for conducting refresher courses for science teachers at the secondary and
higher secondary schools in order to popularize science education below
university levels. I propose an allocation of Taka 200 crore for these activities.

In addition to measures to improve the quality of instruction at the schools, colleges and
universities, we propose more effective use of television for this purpose. A separate
channel in the Bangladesh Television (or via the studios of the Open University)
dedicated to the transmission of model instructions (lectures) by reputed scholars and
teachers on various subjects based on the approved curricula and syllabus is proposed.
These programs could also be reproduced as CDs and distributed to students at moderate
costs.

Information and Communication Technology. Recognizing the critical importance of

science, and information and communication technology in meeting the challenges of the
21st century, my government established a separate Ministry of Science and Technology
in 2002, and formulated a National ICT policy. ICT was designated as one of ‘thrust’
sectors and a National Task Force with myself as the Chairperson was formed. In 2006,
the Parliament passed the Information and Communication Technology Act.

We connected Bangladesh with the world’s information highway through the submarine
cable. Various activities for human resource development were carried out through the
Bangladesh Computer Council. We believe that priority should be given to faster
expansion of the ICT infrastructure and development of human resources. In this context,
I am proposing that (a) the current zero-duty facilities for all ICT related equipment and
materials be continued, and that (b) public sector support be provided to the many private
sector ICT training centers in order to improve their quality and uniformity.
 14

Health and Family Planning. During 2001-2006, we increased the number of beds in
government hospitals at different tiers by 6524, provided 285 X-ray machines, 270
Ambulances and many other essential equipment, and expanded the facilities for
specialized treatment of cancer, cardiac and kidney diseases, and burn injuries. We
significantly increased the number of doctors (2687), nurses (2000), health assistants
(3000), and upazila family planning officers. Additionally, we created posts for nearly
16,000 more doctors, health assistants and nurses. The EPI coverage increased from 52%
to 63%. Infant mortality and maternal deaths were reduced, but the incidence of child
malnutrition and underweight children remained at 16% and 46%, respectively.

We made major restructuring of the family planning program, which was in a bad state of
management and lost its focus during the 1996-2001 government. The Health Directorate
and the Family Planning Directorates were given separate responsibilities for program
implementation. We restored the door-door delivery of family planning materials and
incentives programs. These steps restored the lost momentum of the family planning
program. Our aim is to bring down population growth rate to 0% within then next ten
years.

I propose that appropriate provisions be made for (i) increasing the supply of population
control services and materials, (ii) programs for further reductions in infant and maternal
mortality, (iii) improving the status of child malnutrition and underweight, (iv) expansion
of health services coverage for the rural and urban poor, and (v) for introducing a health
insurance program.

Youth and Women Development. Unemployment among the youth, particularly among
the educated ones, is creating a pool of people who suffer from frustration, and often
become victims of antisocial activities. Their youthful vigor and energy are getting
dissipated and their potential contribution to the society and economy are getting lost.
The solution to the problem in the medium and long term would require the economy to
grow at a faster rate creating employment opportunities for an increasing labor market,
and an education system that would produce job oriented skills. To address the problem,
we propose the following:
 The existing youth training centers should be adequately resourced and the scope
and content of their training programs should be revamped to develop skills
required by the domestic and overseas employment markets. Training in foreign
language, as appropriate, should be a part of the program;
 Loans should be provided and trade licenses facilitated for the trained youth to be
able to establish their own businesses;
 The unemployed youth should be organized to provide community services on
payment of stipends/honorariums provided by the local government; and
 Funds should be provided for community counseling against drug use and other
antisocial activities, and for promoting strong family bonds and relationship.

Our proposals for women’s development are as follows:

 15

 Increase scope and quality of free health services at the government health
facilities, especially pre and post natal services for expecting mothers;
 Establish gynecological wards at the rural health centers,
 Institute special quotas for women at the technical and vocational training
institutes; and
 Introduce special bus services and establish dormitories for working women; and

Social Safety Net. During my 2001-2006 government, coverage under the social safety
net program increased significantly. In 2001, an estimated 700,000 beneficiaries received
a total sum of Taka 100 crore. In 2006, the total number of beneficiaries increased to 2.8
million hardcore poor people who received a total amount of Taka 600 crore. I propose
that the ongoing programs should be expanded to include more of the hardcore people
and per capita allocation be increased by 20%. I also propose that in the light of past
experiences, targeting of beneficiaries should be improved, allocations for administrative
costs be increased and effective measures to rectify any leakages and corrupt practices in
the listing and distribution should process should be taken.

I am also proposing that in addition to the old age allowance, a pilot scheme for setting
up a contributory ‘Old Age Pension Fund’ be undertaken. Individuals who have non-
pensionable incomes, would be eligible to open an account against his/her National ID
card and make periodic deposits to this Fund throughout his/her working life. The
proceeds of the Fund will be invested for profit and the participants will be paid back
their entire deposit plus accrued profit at the end of his or her work life. I am proposing
an allocation of Taka 100 crore for the scheme.

Small and Medium Enterprise Development (SME). Labor intensive small and
medium industries have the potential to provide employment and income alongside
agriculture and large capital intensive industries sectors. SMEs require relatively small
investments, uses locally produced raw materials, direct foreign requirements are low,
and have strong backward linkages. Experiences show that SMEs have not significantly
affected by the global economic downturn; on the contrary they have thrived and
successfully met domestic demand for consumer goods during this crisis. Appropriate
training, readily available technology, supportive policies and infrastructure, and easy
access to credit have the potential to make this sector become dynamic. Development of
these geographically dispersed enterprises will also relieve the demographic pressure on
Dhaka and other major cities.

In consideration of the above, I would like to propose the following:

 Job and business oriented training of potential entrepreneurs and technical
personnel on management, technology and marketing should be organized. Such
training could be planned at the various Vocational Technical Institutes;
 Double the ‘seed money’ facility at Bangladesh Bank in order to help expand the
lending and refinancing operations for SMEs by the commercial banks and other
financial intermediaries;
 Further relax the rate of interest for lending to SME enterprises, and increase the
loan repayment period;
 16

 Give priorities to women entrepreneurs and

 Strengthen research on priority aspects of SME development.

Agricultural Support Services. Although agriculture sector’s contribution to the GDP

has been declining, its role in ensuring food autarky and production for exports,
providing a diverse but nutritionally balanced diet, and generating employment and
income for the bulk of the population living in rural areas, remain as important as before.
In view of the declining availability of limited agricultural lands, continuous increases in
the productivity of fixed and variable resources will be needed to maintain a level of
agricultural production that will effectively sustain the lives and livelihoods of a growing
population. Additionally, agricultural potentials (crops, livestock and fisheries) of the
wetlands and the vast Haors 5 need to be fully exploited, albeit with due cognizance of
the special environmental protection needs.

Agriculture is the largest private sector in Bangladesh with millions of individual

participants guided by socio-economic rationale. We, therefore, believe that maintaining
a reliable supply of quality inputs, provision of technical support services and ensuring
efficient marketing of produce at prices that the producers will consider to be profitable,
would be the only way to increase productivity and production in this predominantly
smallholder subsistence agriculture. We, therefore, propose the following:
 All fertilizer subsidies should be further increased;
 Quality and potency of imported fertilizers should be strictly monitored, and
local dealers for distribution should be appointed on the basis of relevant business
credentials, and not solely on political considerations, as it is being done now;
 Subsidies for diesel-run irrigation should be increased in an amount that is equal
to the difference in the subsidies for diesel-run and electricity run units;
 Increased production, storage and distribution of quality seeds have to be ensured;
 Diversification of crop agriculture into higher value commercial crops should be
made more extensive through better marketing, storage and processing facilities;
 One or more (as required) cold storages should be established in each upazilla for
perishable agricultural produce;
 Procurement prices for crops should be announced timely, procurement should be
directly from producers instead middlemen/processors, and malpractices by party
cadres have to be prevented; and
 Support services and incentives structure for increasing the production and supply
of fish, poultry, eggs, meat and milk in order to address the problem of Protein-
Energy-Malnutrition (PEM) among the population have to be strengthened.

In order to encourage the production of protein foods, we recommend that appropriate

trade and tariff policies be instituted to protect the domestic producers from the Indian
imports (through formal and informal trade). We also propose that rearing of milch
buffaloes in suitable agro-climatic zones of the country be encouraged through
appropriate incentives and technical support services.

5
Low lying areas that are under water during monsoons due to impeded drainage but are cultivable during
dry season.
 17

Land Use Planning and Development of Rural Settlements. The availability of our
very limited agricultural lands is diminishing at a rate of about 1% per annum due to
urbanization, physical infrastructure and industrial development, construction of brick
fields and other non-agricultural uses. While these are normal features of an agricultural
economy in transformation, Bangladesh’s special circumstances warrant planned
measures for mitigation of potentially adverse effects on the lives and livelihood of rural
and peri-urban population. We propose the following:
 An agricultural and rural land use planning body should be set up with experts
on this subject and powers to delineate and designate areas that shall not be put
to any use other than agricultural production (crop, livestock, poultry and
fisheries);
 A pilot project, with an allocation of Taka 250 crore, be initiated for planned
development of rural settlements on non-agricultural lands as determined by the
above mentioned land use planning body. The settlements will have privately
and or communally owned multistoried housing (financed by loans through the
banking system), publicly provided basic social and economic services, and
privately provided other amenities of life. These clusters would also be ideal for
installing alternative sources of renewable energy, such solar, bio-gas and wind,
and would be a much more effective option for their demonstration and
dissemination than installing them on large public buildings in Dhaka.

Preservation and Optimum Use of Public lands, Water Bodies and Forests.
A large portion of publicly owned lands, water bodies and forest areas are now illegally
occupied and used for income by the so-called ‘land grabbers’. Extraction of sand from
river beds is impeding natural flows of water, thereby leading to erosion and destruction
of river banks. Total denudation of forest lands, uncontrolled fishing in water bodies, and
draining out of wet lands are resulting in resource depletion as well as destruction of
environment and bio-diversity. I propose that the laws of the land should be applied to its
fullest extent to evict illegal occupants of such public resources, and consider leasing
these out to landless laborers, fishermen, marginal farmers, destitute women and other
vulnerable segments of the population. Secondly, a long term policy and strategy should
be formulated for the protection, conservation and efficient use of these resources

Agricultural Insurance. I am proposing agricultural insurance to support marginal

farmers mitigate the risks of production failure due to weather or any other factors
beyond their control in the following fields:
 Crop Insurance
 Fisheries and poultry Insurance
 Livestock Insurance
An Agricultural Insurance Company with private and public sectors participation and an
initial subvention or equity participation by the government may be established as soon
as possible. An allocation of Taka 100 crore may be made in the coming budget for this
purpose.

Challenges of Global Warming and Climate Change. Bangladesh is one of the most
vulnerable countries to suffer from the likely adverse effects of global warming and
 18

climate change. Some two crore people and the flora and fauna in the coastal and low
lying areas will be adversely affected due to inundation by sea water, salt water intrusion,
scarcity of drinking water and soil salinity. This will affect the agro-ecology, eco-
systems, biodiversity, human habitation and livelihood.

In the absence of a short, medium and long term strategic plan to mitigate the effects of
the predicted climate change, ad-hoc arrangements like the creation of a Climate Change
Fund, is going to be nothing more than tokenism. We would like to propose the
following:
 An integrated strategic plan of action dealing with land reclamation, problems
intrusion of surface and subsurface salinity, strengthening and increasing the
heights of the coastal embankments and their afforestation should be prepared
with inputs from world-class experts;
 Priority research for developing salt tolerant varieties of agricultural crops, and
arrangements for production and multiplication seeds/cultivars for such varieties;
 Training of extension agents and farmers on crop and livestock production
technologies and husbandry practices under conditions of soil salinity; and
 Raising awareness of the people on community action for the continuous
maintenance and repair of embankments, dykes, cross dams, roads drainage
structures, as well as maintenance of forestry plantations.

In the above context it may also be noted that the construction of the Farakka barrage by
India on the river Ganges 35 years ago, has already inflicted upon some 30 million
inhabitants in South and South -Western region of Bangladesh the same calamities that
the international communities are predicting due to likely climate changes 30-40 years
down the road. The proposed Tipaimukh dam and barrage in the North Eastern state of
Monipur is going to create the same unmitigated disaster for human lives and ecosystems
in the Meghna-Kushiara basin in lower riparian Bangladesh.

Cyclone Aila and Disaster Management: Nothing epitomizes more the administrative
incompetence inherent in this government than the current plight of the cyclone Aila
victims. The inhabitants are living under sub-human conditions of immense proportions.
They are virtually prisoners in ‘pockets’ that are inundated by saline water. Many
dwellings still remain flooded inside. People bathe and wash in the water polluted by
human and animal excreta. Women and children have to travel far on rafts to fetch
drinking water. There are no efforts to rehabilitate and strengthen costal embankments,
resulting in further damage to the structures by wave action. It is alleged by the
inhabitants that relief and rehabilitation activities have been stalled due to infighting of
the ruling party political activists in the area. We request the government to take
measures for removing the impediments to implementation of the relief and rehabilitation
activities.

We propose that special allocations be made in the coming budget for constructing/
rehabilitating/strengthening the drainage structures and protective embankments,
providing materials for constructing/repairing of damaged households, and for reviving
agricultural development activities.
 19

Water Resources Management. Overall water demand in Bangladesh has been

increasing due to population growth, urbanization, development of irrigated agriculture,
fisheries, industrialization etc. However, availability of surface and sub-surface water has
been dwindling. Vast expansion of tube well irrigation has led a serious depletion of
aquifer. Against this background, it is important that a multimodal water resource
management plan is prepared to ensure adequate provision of safe drinking water for the
urban, peri-urban and rural population, and for meeting the needs of agricultural,
livestock and fisheries production. We believe that efforts should be geared to:
 Harness and conserve all available surface water through construction of control
structures and reservoirs to store excess water during flooding and monsoons;
 Deepening rivers, rivulets, canals and other water bodies to increase their
capacities for water storage during monsoons;
 Disseminating available technologies for rainwater recharge of aquifers in urban
as well as rural areas;
 Dissemination of available technologies for rainwater harvesting and conservation
by families as well as groups;
 Greater utilization of nearby river waters for urban drinking water supply through
installing proper filtration and purification systems; and
 Fostering regional cooperation between Bhutan, China, India and Nepal for
planned augmentation of water in the Ganges-Brahmaputra and in the Surma-
Kushiara-Meghna river basins.

Roads, Railways and Inland Water Transport Development. In a densely populated

country like Bangladesh, there is no better alternative than to develop a well designed and
integrated multi-modal transport system comprising of railways, roads and waterways.
Despite major expansions of the road network, it has been rendered inadequate and
inefficient by an ever increasing volume of goods and services traffic. Major inter-district
roads and highways remain clogged with vehicular traffic, resulting in expensive delays
in commuting times.

Increasing use of the extensive railways network would relieve this pressure on roads as
well as allow faster and cheaper inter-district transportation of passengers, goods and
services. But this will require major upgrading and rehabilitation of the centuries old
tracks, increasing and modernizing the rolling stock and locomotives, better equipping
and modernizing the existing railway workshops and, most importantly, improving the
overall management of the system.

The relative importance of riverine transport has declined over time partly because of the
expansion of road network, and partly because many rivers, their tributaries and canals
have become non-navigable due to reduced flow and siltation arising from unilateral
diversion of water by upstream structures in India. A technically sound program of
dredging some of the major waterways that would improve connectivity of the waterways
should be undertaken. Large river crafts (launches and steamers) play an important role in
connecting the metropolitan cities with the south and southwestern districts and some
coastal settlements. Safety of travel by these river crafts are open to question due to
 20

deficiencies in their engineering design, and operational problems arising from

inexperienced crew, overloading and violation of navigational rules. These problems
need to be addressed as well as capabilities for timely and effective response to accidents
on the waterways need to be improved.

Urban Transportation Management. Unprecedented traffic congestion in Dhaka and

its suburbs have not only made civic life unbearable, it has also imposed economic and
social costs. More time is wasted on point-to-travel than in productive activities. With
dilapidated and antiquated vehicles and sub-standard services, public transportation of
acceptable quality and comfort is virtually absent. Hence many travel by private cars,
auto rickshaws, or motorcycles. Roads were not designed to carry this large volume of
multi-modal traffic.

Since the existing roads can not be widened or alternative roads constructed due to land
constraints and unplanned construction of buildings, the feasible solutions for easing the
problem will be to construct elevated roadways, monorails, circular railways, and
developing a vastly improved public transport system including fast commuter trains
connecting Dhaka with cities within a fifty miles radius. We also initiated a circular water
ways for easing the pressure on roads. This may made fully operational.

Developing self contained satellite towns, de-concentrating government offices from their
existing locations, introducing school and hospital zoning system, are some of the policy
and institutional measures that can also be considered over the medium and long term.

The Police Force. An honest and efficient police force is a sin qua non for ensuring rule
of law and improving the internal law and order situation. In Bangladesh, the ratio of
police and total population is abysmally low. They have to work under extremely difficult
conditions and for long hours. My previous government increased the size of the Police
force and also equipped them with new vehicles, equipments and better arms and
ammunitions. More needs to be done for upgrading and modernizing the Police force.We
propose that the budget should provide for
 Recruitment of additional police personnel at all levels to improve the ratio of
police to total population;
 Expansion and upgrading of the physical facilities and training services at the
Police Training Academy and police training centers;
 Modernizing the scope and content of the training programs with greater
emphasis on issues relating to the socio-cultural aspects, conflict resolution and
human and citizens’ rights;
 Improving the quality and quantity of rations and living conditions; and
 Providing an adequate complement of logistic support including vehicles, arms
and ammunitions, and communication equipment.

Most importantly, I would urge the government to provide an enabling environment

for the police to work without any undue political interference or intimidation in
discharging their duties.
 21

The Armed Forces. The Armed Forces of Bangladesh must be suitably expanded and
strengthened to be an effective deterrent against any assault on national security,
sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bangladesh. Each and every branch of the Armed
Forces must be equipped with modern arms and armaments. The irreparable and tragic
loss inflicted by the BDR uprising, have to be recouped by an accelerated and expanded
program for recruitment and training. Each and every individual has to be trained and
motivated to be a valiant soldier and an uncompromising patriot. The capabilities and
skills of the intelligence apparatus and personnel must be vastly strengthened to forestall
any subversive activities against the armed forces. In view of the significant importance
of the maritime boundaries of Bangladesh, from the point of territorial security and
protection of off shore resources, immediate steps must be taken to put in place a tri-
modal naval defense system.

Bangladesh Rifles. The incomprehensible and tragic failure of this government to deal
with the BDR uprising swiftly and decisively will remain as a dark chapter in the
contemporary history of this country. In the aftermath of the uprising, there was nothing
left of border security worthy of its name. Quick reorganization of the BDR to restore it
to its previous glory and effectiveness has become an urgent imperative in view of the
unhindered smuggling of goods, drugs, alcohol, arms and ammunition, together with
illegal and reckless activities of the Indian Border Security Forces. Bangladeshis have
been indiscriminately killed by BSF during the last 17 months of this government. . The
government has failed to take any effective measures to protect the lives and properties of
the inhabitants other than asking them not to tread within five km of the border at night.

Broad Guidelines for Rationalization of Taxation policies. Bangladesh has one of the
lowest Tax-GDP ratio, which needs to be increased to generate additional public sector
resources. However, we believe that a rational taxation policy would be one that will
encourage taxpayers to pay taxes rather than avoidance. Moreover, the government’s
objective should be to increase the total proceeds of tax revenue and not to encourage
avoidance through a high tax rate. We would like to propose as follows:
 Instead of increasing tax rates, performance of tax administration should be
improved to increase collection at prevailing rates. If necessary, tax
administration should expanded and/or restructured;
 In view of the present inflationary pressures and erosion of purchasing power of
the common people, I am proposing that for personal income tax purposes, an
annual income up to Taka 2,40,000 should be made tax exempt;
 For women taxpayers the exemption limit should be fixed at Taka 2,70,000, and
for individuals with any disability, pensioners and old people should be have an
exemption limit of Taka 3,00,000;
 Tax deduction at source for Savings Certificates, 5-year Savings Bond and
Bangladesh Savings Bonds should be withdrawn;
 Imposition of any new taxes on ICT related goods should be avoided;
 Prevailing taxes on textbooks, reference books, educational, scientific and
research journals and periodicals should be withdrawn.
 An Investment Bond should be issued for foreign currency earnings of
Bangladeshis living abroad as well as foreign nationals of Bangladeshi origin.
 22

Proceeds of the Bond may be invested in important national development

projects.
 More transparency and accountability should be ensured for the utilization of
block grants and any other open ended allocations.

Our Vision for a Peoples’ Bangladesh

Against all odds, the valiant freedom fighters and the people of this country fought
alongside the then political and military leadership to create an independent Bangladesh.
Betrayal of the blood, sweat and tears of millions during the early years after
independence still haunts us as a dark chapter in our history. Today, we stand on the
ashes of a stifling one party ‘democracy’, an authoritarian ‘Presidential’ form of
government, and the post-one eleven unconstitutional usurper government. Establishment
of a pluralist democracy by President Ziaur Rahman, and the general elections of 1991,
brought this nation back to the ideals for which millions sacrificed their lives in the 1971
war of liberation ---democracy, freedom, dignity and prosperity.

Our dream and vision for the future, therefore, is a globally integrated and
environmentally sustainable Bangladesh that will be free from hunger, malnutrition,
illiteracy, social injustice, violation of human rights, exploitation of many by a privileged
few, discrimination based on religion, ethnicity, cultural heritage or on any other grounds,
and a Bangladesh that will have a rightful place of honor and dignity in the global
community within this coming decade. To fulfill this dream and vision:

WE envision the protection and consolidation of a multiparty democracy in its

truest sense through irrevocable guarantees for
 Elections to the Parliament and other elective bodies with unquestioned
credibility and beyond any reasonable doubt of partisan interferences;
 A Parliament that will function as per the norms of civility, parliamentary
practices and accountability to the people;
 An independent, efficient and incorruptible judicial system unfettered by political
and/or vested group interests;
 The protection of human rights and the doctrine of equality of all before law; and
 An independent and impartial Election Commission, free from political, partisan
or any other interferences or influences

WE envision an economic management and policy regime that will position

Bangladesh, by 2015, on a fast track for transition into the ranks of a middle income
country through
 Using private entrepreneurship, initiatives and innovativeness in a competitive
environment as the primary engine of growth;
 Significant increases in the production, diversification and commercialization of
the agriculture sector to maintain food autarky, provide a diverse and nutritious
diet, and contribute to foreign exchange earnings;
 Higher and diversified growth in the manufacturing sector to meet domestic and
export demands;
 23

 Broad based income and employment generation for reducing poverty at an

annual rate of over 2% per annum; and
 An expanded safety net for the vulnerable and disadvantaged segments of the
population

WE envision a human resources development policy that will

 Remove illiteracy within the next decade;
 Remove any social, cultural, gender and economic barriers to access to education
at all levels;
 Ensure access to appropriate education for the physically, mentally and
emotionally challenged ;
 Develop human resources at all levels with the skills and competencies required
for the domestic as well the global job market, imbued with social skills,
patriotism and universal moral values;
 Instill among the students and teachers the imperatives for an inclusive, humane,
tolerant, just and equitable society;

WE envision a health and family welfare policy that will

 Provide incentives and material support for bringing down the population growth
rate to zero during the next decade;
 Improve the scope, coverage and quality of preventive and curative health
services, particularly to the poor and disadvantaged segments of the population,
and thereby make it a nation of healthy people;
 Improve child and maternal health services to further reduce child and maternal
mortality rates and the incidence of child malnutrition and under weight;

WE envision a public administration distinguished by

 Its professionalism, honesty and commitment to the service of the Republic and
its people;
 Transparency, accountability and freedom from any political and/or partisan
influences in its functioning;
 Extensive use e-governance, e-commerce;
 An independent Anti Corruption Commission, unfettered by any political and or
partisan influences as the nation had witnessed during the post-one eleven period;
 A well equipped, trained and provisioned police force with high levels of
integrity and impartiality;

WE envision an Armed Forces that will

 Distinguish themselves with the highest levels of professionalism at home and
abroad; and
 Zealously protect the territorial integrity, sovereignty, national resources and the
people of Bangladesh from all kinds of external threats.

Above all, we envision a Bangladesh that will always stand upright and put above
everything else its national interests and pride, territorial integrity, and sovereign
 24

equality in building its relationship with other countries in the region as well as with
those across the seven seas.

My fellow Countrymen, let us put our head, heart and soul together in the relentless
pursuit of our dream and vision for a Bangladesh as I have outlined above.

Allah Hafez
Bangladesh Zindabad

Dhaka 7th June, 2010