26 NOVEMBER 2002

Excellencies, Honourable Members of Parliament, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen

I feel honoured to deliver a lecture on late Mr. Dinesh Singh, former Foreign Minister of India at the invitation of the Indian Council for South Asian Co-operation (ICSAC).

I consider it a great honour and a rare opportunity to be in this prestigious forum to speak on a personality who is well known for his endeavour to promote goodwill, progress and propriety among the masses of the South Asian Region. He will be remembered not only as a capable Foreign Minister of India, but also as one who wanted peace, progress and prosperity for the people of this region. I recall with respect his lifelong endeavours for materialising these noble goals.

I take this opportunity to remember here that back in 1972, the founding father of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had articulated his vision of conflict free and prosperous South Asian nations who are basically poor but had enough natural and human resources to raise their standard of living if they could be united.

Our aims and objectives have always been for effective co-operation among the South Asian nations to pool their resources together and to improve the economic and social conditions of nearly two billion people, who unfortunately are also amongst the poorest and most disadvantaged members of the global family.

Distinguished guests,

First of all I would like to reiterate that we all have to adhere to the principles as enshrined in the South Asian Regional Co-operation Association (SAARC) charter.

The basic problems of the people of this region are poverty, hunger and illiteracy. Majority of the people of the South Asian countries are poverty-stricken. To get out of this vicious poverty cycle, the first prerequisite should be poverty eradication and sustained human development on the basis of common targets and agreed strategies through regional forums. It saddens me to mention that the countries of South Asia have been rather inward looking and have not tried seriously to reap the potential benefits of effective common programmes based on regional co-operation.

Poverty is the main enemy of humanity. Therefore, in Bangladesh we have worked hard to eliminate illiteracy and eradicate poverty during five year (1996-2001) of Awami League government. As a matter of fact poverty eradication was the prime goal of our development plan and strategy. Though our achievement in this sphere may not have been that spectacular, but I can say emphatically that a modest beginning was made. We introduced a social safety net for the poor. The main philosophy of our programme was poverty reduction through ensuring five basic human needs-Food, Clothing, Shelter, Education and Medicare.

Following massive programmes undertaken by my government the human poverty index, which was 41.6 percent in 1995-97, has come down to 32% in 2001. The per capita income of the people of Bangladesh rose to US 390 dollar in year 2000 compared to US 240 dollar in 1996. During our tenure the growth rate has been 6.6 percent for the first time in the economic history of Bangladesh. The average inflation rate was more than 5% when we assumed our responsibility. We brought it down to 1.59 % from 6.4 %.

Ladies and Gentlemen

Food security is very much linked with peace and security. Food is the most vital need of our people. Before we took over in June 1996 Bangladesh had a deficit of 4.4 million metric tons of food. We have been able to produce bumper crop in consecutive five years of our rule. We had a surplus of 2.6 million tons of food grains when we handed over power to the caretaker government. We could guarantee food security for our people.

We launched several poverty alleviation programmes to enhance the quality of life of our people so that they can live in peace and happiness. We launched “Asrayon” a program for providing shelter to homeless people where more than fifty thousand families found home and means of livelihood. My government introduced Old age allowance for the first time in Bangladesh. Five hundred thousand old people were covered under that programme.

We also introduced Model Village project at a cost of US $ 72 million to create employment opportunities in the rural areas and to reverse the tendency of people’s migration from rural areas to urban areas. The Awami League government headed by me introduced “Return Home” project to motivate the destitute people to return home from city slums and shanties. My government established six “Shanti Nibash” (Peace abode) for safe accommodation of elderly people having no dear or near ones. We took steps to construct flats and dormitories for the low-income group, government employees and garment workers. Homeless, slum dwellers and destitute people have been provided with credit for housing. Such housing loan was provided in the rural areas for the first time. The ill-paid government officials were also provided with accommodation. No other previous government took such steps for the eradication of the miserable poverty of the rural and urban poor.

My government constructed 1800 healthcare centres within five year period, one for each 6000 people, where women and children would have priority. We also completed construction of 10000 primary health care centres. Following our pragmatic measures the literacy rate rose to about 65.6% from 45% in 1996.

Empowerment of women was our top priority. My government declared Women and children development policy in 1997 and adopted a well-defined action plan for the empowerment of women. Besides Civil service, large number of women was inducted into Police and Armed forces. My government introduced direct election for women in the local bodies. 14.000 women were directly elected to union councils out of 46000 contestants in the lowest tier of democracy. We wanted to introduce direct election for women in the National Parliament but could not pass a bill to amend our constitution in the parliament due to continuous abstaining of BNP MPs from the house. Educational facilities for women have been increased in our tenure. Monthly allowances have been given to 200,000 aged widows and divorced women. Stringent laws have been enacted for prevention of crimes against women and children and their trafficking. I, myself, proposed joint action by member states of SAARC for prevention of women and child trafficking.

All these programmes were taken with the vision to change the fate of our people. My government concentrated on fulfilling people’s basic rights. Within a period of five years we made commendable achievement in the social, economic and political sectors.

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen

I took a little of your valuable time to speak on some aspects of our efforts to remove poverty and illiteracy, which are curses for South Asian societies. Without achieving a considerable degree of achievement in poverty alleviation and literacy, democracy in real sense cannot be established and peace and progress would be a far cry.

We all know, Mr. Chairman that the South Asian region has multifaceted problems--poor infrastructures, agonising poverty, terrorism, and absence of congenial bilateral atmosphere, cross-border trafficking of illegal drugs, weapons, women and children. These can be addressed with utmost sincerity and effectiveness only under the framework of an agreed programme of action and specific implementation mechanisms. The track record of SAARC is not very encouraging so far in creating such a milieu. Availability of easy and inexpensive communications and interactions among the major actors of countries of the region is a first step.

We all know that poverty prone South Asian countries possess vast natural and human resources. But those have not been harnessed for optimising the socio-economic benefits for the people in general and the poor in particular. In the ranks of the poor, the women, children, minorities and the handicapped predominate. If harnessed, these priceless resources could substantially improve the socio-economic conditions of the people of this region.

To accelerate the processes of co-operation further among the nations of South Asia I would like to recommend for acceptance of the following measures within the socio-political frameworks of the respective countries.

Disputes or aggravation between the countries should be bilaterally taken up for resolution. If it is possible for a country to help solve such bilateral issue which is very difficult in nature, a third country may take initiative to bring the two disputing parties to discussion on the negotiating table on the basis of mutual understanding.

I myself took an initiative following nuclear detonations by Pakistan and India in 1998. I undertook tours to Delhi and Islamabad and tried my best to diffuse the towering tension, which could ultimately threaten the peace in the whole subcontinent. My visits were acclaimed internationally in an otherwise explosive situation. In pursuance of a similar approach toward promoting regional co-operation I had taken the initiative to host a Tripartite Business Summit (TBS) in 1997 involving the Heads of Government of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. This being the first ever such a meeting in our history, made a significant contribution in promoting understanding among our political and business leaders, in revealing the many opportunities for gainful trade and investment that existed in our countries, in fostering co-operation amongst the private corporate leaders. Many meetings amongst the captains of our trade, commerce and industries followed this event.

It is indeed a pity that the SAARC chamber of commerce and industry has not performed according to our high expectations. This is yet another forum available to us for meaningfully promoting the regional co-operation that the late Mr. Singh had valued so much.

We solved the longstanding ethnic problem in the Chittagong Hill tracts, which took heavy toll of our lives. Following signing of the Hill Peace Accord 62,000 tribal refugees returned home from India. The members of the Shanti Bahini, who used to operate in the hilly region from their hideouts surrendered their arms and returned to their normal life. This deep-rooted ethnic problem was solved without any third party mediation, which is unique in the history of conflict resolution. We provided the ethnic people who surrendered arms with jobs. They were even recruited in the law-enforcing agency.

We resolved the problem of Ganges water sharing within a mere six months of my government’s assumption of power. A thirty-year agreement on water sharing of Ganges and its tributaries was signed between India and Bangladesh on 12 December 1996. Therefore, I strongly believe that disputes between the countries could be resolved bilaterally if both parties have good will.

Ladies and Gentleman,

It is a matter of great disappointment to us that unlike North America, Europe, Southeast Asia, we in South Asia have not been able to increase our economic co-operation in the region and trade/investment flows are amongst the lowest of any grouping of countries of the world. We must work together to change this. We have to actionably promote trade, investment and business for the benefits of the common people of the South Asian countries. An effective ASEAN like Forum is very vital for the promotion of the trade, investment and economic co-operation.

Easy and cheap communication network should be available to link the SAARC capitals, which we have been stressing for a long time to facilitate trade, business, travel and tourism. We also suggested a number of efforts in the past to control trafficking of drugs, women and children as well as to promote trade and investment.

I would like to emphasise here that whether we are in power or not, my party will continue to strive for the welfare of the people of South Asia and for cementing our cultural ties in the spirit of our long standing historical bond and openness. To get back to the prime image of South Asian co-operation, we need to set specific, but realistic targets for augmenting trade and investment flows.

As I have stressed earlier the need for an economic forum like ASEAN, I would also strongly advocate a close link between the countries of Southeast and East Asia, as well as European Union. We must reap the benefits of inter-regional and continental specialisation. The creation of BIMSTEC, a new sub regional co-operation between Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Srilanka and Thailand was a pointer in this regard.

I took the initiative to form Association of Asian Parliamentarians for Peace, which comprises Parliament members of all Asian countries. The aims and objectives of AAPP among others were to provide a forum for exchange of views, ideas and experiences and for developing common strategies and action plans for promotion of peace in Asia and to co-operate in international, regional and other forums for promotion of peace. The first meeting of AAPP was held in Dhaka on 4 September 1999. The meeting was a big step towards consolidation of peace and progress among the nations of Asia and aimed at forging unity among the parliament members of Asia.

Ladies and Gentleman,

I would request you to take note of the divergent problems of the peoples of the Asian Continent. Some countries in this continent are industrially developed and potentially rich, while vast multitude of people of LDCs is languishing in abject poverty. I would suggest for effective measures to bring down this colossal difference so that the poor nations can improve their standard of living to a considerable extent. The Industrially developed nations must come forward to help the programmes of poverty reduction of the poor countries.

I think it is for the interest of the rich countries also that the LDCs in the region should be developed so that the industrially developed can have their markets in these countries. We the poor nations are gifted with abundance of natural resources and cheap labour force, the industrially developed countries can set-up joint venture Industrial units in various sectors and can sale the produce locally as well as export elsewhere.

I would like to point out here that I attended the G-8 summit of the Industrially developed countries held at Genoa in Italy in the third week of July last year at the invitation of the sponsors to speak for Asia on ‘Poverty alleviation’. There I strongly advocated that if the industrially developed countries can adopt poverty alleviation as their agenda and stand by the poor, they will benefit most. Industrially developed countries would be able to expand their markets in the developing countries. If this can be done, the purchasing power of the underdeveloped countries will increase and there would be expansion of the economic activities of both the developed and the underdeveloped countries. I am happy to mention that the G-8 summit had accepted my proposal.

Ladies and Gentlemen

I am coming back to poverty again. It is a curse to humanity. Our prime aim should be eradication of poverty. A small part of the amount of money rich countries spend on arms manufacture could be spent for the welfare of the poor people of the poor nations. More weapons, more guns, more sophisticated war machines and more war is no solution to peace. Only eradication of poverty can guarantee peace for the world. We all know, terrorists find recruits and safe haven in poverty. If people can eat two meals a day, if they get cloths, shelter, proper education and healthcare, they will not fancy terrorism instead of peace. There will be no stress between rich and poor nations if poverty can be reduced. Progress and development will be also ensured for the world.

Therefore, I would fervently appeal to all, particularly the rich Industrialised nation to extend their cooperation and assistance to undertake welfare oriented programmes.

Before, I conclude I would like to stress on the two social vices for which the humanity has become helpless. The human beings all over the world are hostages to a small section of terrorists. The last SAARC summit held in Kathmandu in January 2002 unanimously agreed to support International efforts to defeat terrorism and forge unity among south Asian nations for economic development.

I on my own behalf and my party the Bangladesh Awami League and the People of Bangladesh unequivocally condemn terrorism in any form and anywhere in the world. I would like to mention here that we have passed through the dark phase military and quasi-military dictatorship after usurpation of democratic rule over two decades. During the dictatorial regimes, people’s fundamental rights were trampled, its resources were plundered and the country was made poorer. The vast multitude of people unitedly fought a battle against dictatorial regimes and brought back democratic rule in 1996.

I was given the stewardship of the country at a crucial time when economy was in very bad shape and relations with our neighbours were at the lowest ebb. We tackled the unhealthy situation and brought back economy on the rail and social safety net covered programmes for removing poverty and illiteracy, which had gripped our society.

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen

It saddens me to inform you that after the election of October 2001 Violence and terrorism overtook our motherland. The alliance government let loose the reign of terror in the country. There have been numerous incidents of human rights violence. A series of attack on the minority community swept the country immediately after the October 1 election. Incidents of minority repression, arrest and harassment of opposition leaders and activists, killing and torture of journalists, death in custody, indiscriminate gang rape of women and children and wide spread human rights violation and excesses by law enforcing agencies have overwhelmed the one year of BNP-Jamat rule.

I would urge people of this region irrespective of caste, creed, colour, languages and political affiliations, to carry forward the hopes and aspirations for a good living in peace and harmony removing abject poverty, terrorism, corruption, political and religious intolerance and persecution and all forms of intolerance and bigotry. We must also preserve human rights to protect our social and ethical values there by fulfilling the dreams of our founding father. Regional co-operation, in my humble opinion, is an idea for which time has come. South Asia must now act. Thank you all.

May we all live in peace, security and happiness.

Khuda Hafiz. (Good bye)

Joi Bangla

Joi Bangabadhu.

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