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CPD-Prothom
Alo-The Daily Star dialogue in
Sylhet
Politicians
urged to sink Rows for urban uplift
Staff
Correspondent,
from Sylhet
11 May, 2003
Speakers
at a dialogue in Sylhet yesterday
called upon political leaders
to join hands setting aside bickering
for adding sparks to urban uplift
activities. They also called for
greater empowerment of local government
bodies including city corporations
as well as better coordination
among people's representatives
and the administration for ensuring
good urban governance.
Adoption of a national urbanisation
policy may lead to a better future,
they said in their speeches to
the event on 'Urban Management'
organised by the Centre for Policy
Dialogue (CPD), The Daily Star
and the Prothom Alo at Hotel Palash. The
dialogue was held as part of a
series of regional consultation
on National Policy Review Forum-2003.
Mayor of Sylhet Badar Uddin Ahmed
Kamran attended the function as
the chief guest with former vice-chancellor
of Shahjalal University of Science
and Technology Professor Mohammad
Habibur Rahman in the chair.
Dr NI Nazem, associate professor
of geography and environment at
Dhaka University, presented the
keynote paper. Professor Aminul
Islam Chowdhury, former VC of
Jahangirnagar University; Dr Nazrul
Islam, professor at geography
and environment at Dhaka University;
Mahfuz Anam, editor of The Daily
Star, Debopriya Bhattacharya of
CPD, Rasheda Newaz, a member of
urban management task force, AHNA
Chowdhury, ex-joint secretary
and a task force member; Professor
Syed Akmal Mahmud of Sylhet International
University, Dr Akhtarul Islam
of SUST, Jamil Ahmed Chowdhury,
registrar of SUST; Professor Jainal
Abedin of SUST and Faruque Mahmud
Chowdhury, vice-president of Sylhet
Chamber spoke on the occasion.
It was also addressed by Azizul
Haque Manik, ward commissioner;
Brigadier Jubayer Siddiqui of
Scholars Home College, Aziz Ahmed
Selim, acting editor of the Daily
Jugabhery, Safwan Chowdhury, vice-chairman
of Bangladesh Cha Sangsad, EU
Shahidul Islam, secretary of Sylhet
Bar; Abul Foteh Fattah, general
secretary of the Sylhet unit of
College-University Teachers' Association;
Dr Kamal Ahmed Chowdhury, association
professor of SUST, Murshed Chowdhury,
Zayeda Sharmin, Farzana Siddiqi,
Akhtaruzzaman, lecturers of SUST,
Muhibur Rahman, Chamber leader,
Lokman Ahmed, general secretary
of JSD (INU) and Barrister Arash
Ali, president of Amnesty International,
Bangladesh chapter.
Professor Syed Akmal Mahmud said
greater empowerment of elected
local government bodies was a
must for fulfilling people's hopes
and aspirations.
Without better coordination between
people's representatives and the
local administration, local government
bodies cannot be effective, he
observed.
Safwan Chowdhury stressed the
need for private sector investment
in urban development programmes
like in many Asian countries.District
Bar Secretary EU Shahidul Islam
demanded recovery of natural falls
and canals which have fallen into
squatters' hands in major cities.
Professor Aminul Islam Chowdhury
called for raising revenue from
municipal taxes.
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