Chief adviser urges NRBs to help materialise dev goal
The chief adviser, Fakhruddin Ahmed, has urged the non-resident Bangladeshis to pay heed to the motherland’s call for help in materialising the nation’s cherished development goals through concerted effort.
The common goal of the nation is to transform the motherland into a medium-income country by the year 2021, coinciding with 50 years of Bangladesh’s independence, he said addressing the closing ceremony of the 3-day First Non-Resident Bangladeshi Conference 2007 on Saturday organised by Scholars Bangladesh at Hotel Sheraton.
‘We can achieve this objective with the support and cooperation of all our citizens living at home and abroad,’ he told his audience, striking a note of optimism about the nation’s uplift potential.
‘I know fully the efforts that the NRBs makes to keep connected and get involved with affairs of Bangladesh. I encourage NRBs to continue and expand these endeavours to ensure that the skills developed abroad by our citizens can be used to the fullest advantage by our nation,’ the chief adviser said.
The head of the caretaker government assured all-out cooperation from government side in the endeavours of the Bangladesh expatriates.
On behalf of the army chief, the Quarter Master General of the Bangladesh Army, Lt Gen M Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, director BRAC, UK, Sandra Kabir, Michigan State Senator Hansen Clarke and chief executive officer of Scholars Bangladesh Dilara Afroz Khan also spoke at the closing ceremony.
The foreign adviser, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, chaired the function while Dr Kamal Hossain gave the vote of thanks.
Over 1,000 non-resident Bangladeshis from 40 countries attended the conference.
The chief adviser said with happiness that non-resident Bangladeshis were today playing leadership role in many renowned organisations, institutions and industries all over the world and their successes filled the hearts of the countrymen with pride.
It is now necessary, more than ever before, to create the environment and opportunity for NRBs to make long-term contribution to the socio-economic progress of the nation.
‘I believe that a platform like the one we have seen here over the past few days can greatly facilitate such participation by NRBs alongside necessary support from our public and private sectors.’
Referring to the discussions that have taken place in the conference on various issues of national interest, he said it provided an occasion for NRBs to drill down into some of the challenges and opportunities facing Bangladesh today and to propose a strategic solution where they could extend a helping hand.
After the chief adviser’s speech, the floor was open for the expatriates and it turned out to be a lively question-answer session on the prospects and problems of the country and their well-defined roles. A number of NRB men and women from the USA, the UK, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Japan, Italy, China, Sweden, New Zealand and Spain came up with a volley of questions, suggestions and problems before the chief adviser.
Making the NRBs voter, change in the behaviour of bureaucrats, improper behaviour at airport and NRBs’ facilities, opening Bangladesh embassy and consulate, developing skill of manpower, and means of quick sending of remittances were among others that came up as questions and suggestions.
The foreign adviser moderated the question-answer session. The chief adviser thanked them for raising the questions and issues and gave answers to some of their queries.
He, however, suggested the NRBs to e-mail him their questions and suggestions and gave a web site address for e-mail to the chief adviser.
On preparing of voter list for NRBs, he mentioned the visit of election commissioners to the UK regarding voter listing of Bangladeshi expatriates.
He expects that EC will share their experience with the government along with recommendations and the government will think about next step.
On behaviour of bureaucrats and dealings in airport, he said obviously there is a lot of room for improvement. He mentioned separate counter for NRBs in airport and informed that the government is introducing training for improving approaches.
On opening consulate and embassy, he said the foreign adviser would look into the matter.
Regarding visa form of NRBs, he said it should be uniform and rationalised.
The chief adviser distributed Scholar of the Year award to the winners for their outstanding contributions in their respective fields.
Eight Bangladeshi scholars from home and abroad have been adjudged Scholars of the year 2007 in four fields — art and culture, science, technology and innovation, health and medicine, and education and research in honour of Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin, world-famous architect FR Khan, founder of BIRDEM hospital Dr M Ibrahim, renowned educationist and scientist Dr Kudrat-e-Khuda respectively.
The recipients are NRB Monirul Islam and Kalim Sharafi in art and culture, NRB Iqbal Z Quadir and Horipodo Kapali in science, technology and innovation, NRB Dr ABM Fazlul Karim and Dr MR Khan in health and medicine and NRB Professor Fazle Hussain and Dr Jamal Nazrul Islam in education and research.
News courtesy newagebd
