Strengthen local govt for rural development
Advises Sir Fazle Hasan Abed
The Federation of NGOs in Bangladesh Chairman Dr Muhammad Ibrahim presents a bouquet to Brac Founder and Chairman Sir Fazle Hasan Abed at Brac Centre Inn in the city during a reception accorded to the latter on his receiving the “WISE Prize for Education”.Photo: STAR
Brac Founder and Chairman Sir Fazle Hasan Abed yesterday stressed the need for strengthening the local government system to ensure proper development of the country's rural areas. “If the local government system is strengthened, it will be helpful for NGOs (non-government organisations) to expand their development activities in rural areas and to arrange different sorts of facilities for marginal people,” he said. Abed was speaking at a reception accorded to him on his receiving the “WISE Prize for Education”, an initiative of the Qatar Foundation to reward world-class contribution to any level or area of education. The annual WISE Prize for Education was announced in December 2010 during the last World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), held in Doha, Qatar, states the foundation's website. Abed is the first person to receive the award, presented to him on November 1, recognising his 40-year career dedicated to alleviating poverty through education. Created in 1972, his Brac project, formerly Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee, is now reputed to be the biggest NGO in the world. Stating that the quality of education in most of the country's schools was “poor”, Abed laid emphasis on collective efforts to bring about a positive change in this regard. Pointing out the different methods used to provide education in Brac Schools, he said his organisation was working to expand information technology-based education across the country. “Our staff are working so that the school-going students can study every topic from websites,” he said at the reception organised by The Federation of NGOs in Bangladesh at Brac Centre Inn in the city. Addressing the reception, Dr Akbar Ali Khan, former adviser to a caretaker government, said Brac schools had significantly contributed in protecting the right to education of marginal communities all over the world. Stating that education was creating “wealth discrimination” in society, he said the government and NGOs should work together to reduce the discrimination. Khan also stressed a transformation of the country's population into human resources to accelerate the growth of the economy, besides taking education to the doorsteps of marginal people. Another former adviser to a caretaker government, Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, said everyone should work together to bring about social change and to ensure the country's prosperity. Manusher Jonno Foundation Executive Director Shaheen Anam said the award presented to Abed had brought honour and reputation for the country. Country Director of The Hunger Project-Bangladesh, Dr Badiul Alam Majumder, also spoke at the reception, where Centre for Policy Dialogue Executive Director Dr Mustafizur Rahman and Prof Emeritus Anisuzzaman were present.
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