Both Government and opposition leaders opined to work together
Country requires a holistic energy policy integrating all potential sources

Dhaka, 15 May 2010. Equity and Justice Working Group Bangladesh (equitybd) organized a seminar titled “Fossil fuel less economy and national budget 2010-11” at the National Press Club Dhaka. In the seminar, speakers and policy makers irrespective of political identity commented unanimously that securing clean and alternative energy sources should be the top priority as the current fossil fuel based energy sources are being considered the main driver of global warming and climate change.

In the seminar Syed Aminul Haque of EquityBD made the keynote presentation titled “Is irrational greed of fossil fuel leading us to a country indebted and captive to the private sector and multinational companies?”. He quoted examples from the Philippines and Indonesia, where during autocratic regime erratic loan investment for augmenting power sector made those countries highly indebted, thus debt servicing liabilities of those countries are now around 70 to 80 % of their revenue budget.

Country’s eminent economist Dr Quazi Kholikuzzaman Ahmed was the chief guest in the seminar, while AL lawmaker and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, Major General (Rtd) Subid Ali Bhuiyan MP; Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Agriculture Ministry Shawkot Momen Shahjahan MP; BNP lawmaker and chief whip of the opposition party in the parliament Mr Joinul Abedin Faruque MP, Shamsuzzaman Dudu spoke in the seminar.

Please download the press release [Bangla] [English] , Leaflet [ Bangla] , photos , powerpoint presentation and media coverage.

Online mediacoverage

Protest against ADB’s role of privatization during its 43rd Annual Governors Meeting

ADB’s Role in the Privatization of Services would create ‘state of inhumanity’ in peoples’ life

An alliance of ten rights organizations organized a protest demonstration and human chain against the IFIs, especially of ADB, for their role of privatization of essential services. The rights group includes AMKS, DORA, Krishani Sohova,  EquityBD,  LEAD Trust , LaVia Campesina Bangladesh, MFTD, Online Knowledge Center , PRADIP and RCSV.

The alliance, led by Equity and Justice Working Group Bangladesh, organized this protest in front of the National Press Club, Dhaka during 43rd Annual Governors meeting of ADB held in Taskent, Uzbekistan in May 2010.

This high level policy meeting of ADB highlighted privatization of water, power, and other essential services in the south and south-east Asian region. Condemning such role of the Bank, the rights group across Asia declared May 4 as the Asian Day of Action against Privatization of Essential Services and organized protest in the Philippines, Indonesia, India, and in Pakistan.

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