Former Bangladesh Bank governor Dr. Mohammcd Farashuddin launched the book as the chief guest of the event. Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh (PRI) organised the ceremony at its Conference Room in the city while its Chairman Dr Zaidi Sattar presided over the function.
Former Caretaker Government Adviser Dr. Akbar Ali Khan said people started to think about poverty before industrial revolution. Prior to it, they had thought of poverty as part of life. Then there was no thinking to eliminate poverty.
“However, there is now talk about ‘Sonar Bangla” in Bangladesh. I thought about the concept and its past analysis and wrote the book. Today poverty is the main problem in the world. From 1950 to 1990 the world witnessed the highest number of poverty-stricken population in history. Actually it was highest in 1970. The research with poverty mainly began from this time. I included recent poverty situation and probable problems in future in my book,” he added.
“I find it laughable when I hear around four percent unemployment in the country. It’s nothing but idle talk. How has Bangladesh improved to such position? I never saw such position of the country in the past,” the author said.
Citing Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen, Akbar Ali said Bangladesh is not a model country because of less tax collection and problem of infrastructure and weak policy implementation capability of government.
“Bangladesh won’t succeed if the problems are not addressed. There is no proper initiative to resolve the weaknesses,” he added.
The economist added once WB collected data from 140-141 countries. Now they now collect data from 213 countries.
“It’s said that the poverty will be eliminated from Bangladesh. I don’t agree with it,” Akbar Ali said.
“The poverty won’t be eliminated in the next 50 or 100 years if we analyse the 189 objectives of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). All countries’ statesmen are now chanting slogan that they will eliminate poverty from world as they succeeded MDGs so they will also succeed in SDG too. I think it’s a wrong idea,” Akbar said.
Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Dr. Fahmida Khatun said good governance is most important to reduce poverty.
PRI Executive Director Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur, Research Director of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) Dr. Binayak Sen, Executive Director of Institute for Inclusive Finance and Development (InM) Dr. Mustafa K. Mujeri, Chairperson of Economics and Social Sciences Department at BRAC University Professor Dr. ATM Nurul Amin also spoke there.