Poverty will exist as long as corruption

Prime Minister's International Affairs Adviser Dr Gowher Rizvi yesterday said Bangladesh cannot reach the middle and higher income status by 2021 and 2041 respectively without poverty alleviation, and poverty will exist as long as corruption exists.

He emphasised the necessity of alleviating poverty and curbing corruption at a seminar titled "Implementation of National Integration Strategy (NIS): Selected Good Practices" at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital.   

"The core challenge for us has been governance. Governance lies at the core of all our problems, and also of solutions to our problems. Unless we can address the problems of governance then there is no way to get out of poverty, and no way to realise the dream of a golden Bangladesh," he said as the chief guest.

He said all should make NIS a part of daily life to help establish good governance.

Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said there is firm commitment from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in NIS's implementation.

He also echoed Rizvi and emphasised curbing corruption.

Mikio Hataeda, chief representative of Jica, Bangladesh said the country needs to encourage more private investment to ensure faster growth in the country. At the same time, it should implement the NIS to enter the next level of economical growth, he added. 

The Bridges Division, Bangladesh Bank, Road Transport and Highways Division, the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and the Anti-Corruption Commission presented five selected good practices of implementation of NIS at the seminar.

Japanese Ambassador to Dhaka Masato Watanabe and Cabinet Division Secretary (Coordination and Reforms) Md Nazrul Islam also spoke.