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Archive for the ‘Bangladesh’ Category

Prime Minister urged for an effective plan to conserve biodiversity

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

BERJAYABiodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or on an entire planet. Biodiversity is one measure of the health of biological systems.

Life on Earth today consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The year 2010 was declared ?the International Year of Biodiversity.

Biodiversity is not consistent across the Earth. It is consistently rich in the tropics and in specific regions such as the Cape Floristic Province; it is less rich in polar regions where conditions support much less biomass.

The period since the emergence of humans has displayed an ongoing reduction in biodiversity. Named the Holocene extinction, the reduction is caused primarily by human impacts, particularly the destruction of plant and animal habitat.

In addition, human practices have caused a loss of genetic diversity. Biodiversity’s impact on human health is a major international issue.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday urged the world leaders to formulate an effective strategy with genuine commitment and more investment to conserve biodiversity on earth.

Biodiversity is worsening with increasing world population, poor people, poverty and adverse impacts of climate change and mindless exploitation of natural resources, she told the High Level Plenary Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at the UN Headquarters.

Hasina blamed the mankind’s activities that results in massive extinction of species and destabilizing nature’s balance on the planet.

“We have ruthlessly exploited nature’s bounty, upsetting the ecological balance, thereby placing our survival at risk,” she said.

Hasina deplored that human’s callous activities have increased destruction of biodiversity at such an abnormal pace that the mother earth may, sooner than expected, lose her vital functions of sustaining all living things, plants and animals, including human beings.

Making a passionate appeal to the convention, she said, Let us not forget that every species has a specific role to play in our world ecological system, and that they are all connected in a mysterious, miraculous chain with the sole purpose of preserving our planet.

Let us also not forget that their survival also may have a significant role in our survival on mother Earth. Let us with utmost sincerity, at least, slowdown the decline.

The premier proposed to adjust policies and mindsets to reflect the true value of species and habitats, saying ‘biodiversity is life–our life’. Let us act now to preserve it, before it is too late.

She said most of the world’s population is poor whose daily lives depend on biodiversity. This is one strong reason why world leaders set a target in 2002 to substantially reduce biodiversity loss by 2010, and integrated the same into the MDGs.

Hasina said one must recognise the close links between the natural capital and the development objectives. It must also establish the practical link between biodiversity loss and poverty, as in the theme of this Biodiversity Year,” Biodiversity for Development and Poverty Alleviation.”

On the International Year of Biodiversity, she called for crafting a new vision on biodiversity when the leaders will meet again in Japan later this year.

Taking a stock of the last 20 years, she said the situation looks bleak as the onslaught on the planet’s resources continues unabated.

The decisions to be taken at the convention must promote conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and equitable sharing of the benefits from its use.

Hasina said across the developing world, women farmers produce 60-80 percent of food. Unfortunately, they suffer disproportionately through biodiversity loss, land degradation, climate change, and deepening poverty but they are inadequately represented in decision making.

She observed that women farmers’ opinion, need and interest would no doubt help successful formulation of conservation policies and programmes.

The PM mentioned that the preamble to the Convention on CBD recognises “the vital role that women play” in the conservation and sustainable uses of biological diversity.BERJAYA

Malaysia to recruit 5,000 -6000fishermen from Bangladesh

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

BERJAYAMalaysia has shown its eagerness to hire around 5,000 fishermen from Bangladesh, which the government thinks could be the first step towards reopening door to the Southeast Asian country for the Bangladeshi workers.

“Having received offers from the Malaysian side, our high commissioner in Kuala Lumpur inquired if we could send fishermen,” Dr Zafar Ahmed Khan, secretary to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, told The Daily Star on Wednesday.

They would be hired for catching fish in the sea, he said. With some training, Bangladeshi fishermen could easily become skilled and professional, the secretary said.
Malaysia is poised to recruit some 6,000 Bangladeshi fishermen for its growing fisheries sector, a senior Bangladeshi minister said Wednesday.

‘I have talked to the Malaysian authorities. They have assured me of employing 6,000 Bangladeshi fishermen,’ Malaysia is poised to recruit some 6,000 Bangladeshi fishermen for its growing fisheries sector, a senior Bangladeshi minister said Wednesday.

‘I have talked to the Malaysian authorities. They have assured me of employing 6,000 Bangladeshi fishermen,’ Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, minister in charge of overseas labour, told reporters.

It would be the first time Bangladesh sent fishery workers to Malaysia since Kuala Lumpur cancelled the visas of 55,000 Bangladeshi jobseekers in early 2009, citing the global economic slowdown.

Bangladesh had started training programmes in response to the invitation, an official said.

‘We will send trained fishermen, especially from the coastal area, under government supervision,’ said Jafar Ahmed Khan, secretary to the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment.

With a production of 1.56 million tons, Malaysian fisheries were 93 per cent self-sufficient in employment in 2007 and the government had planned to reach self-sufficiency by 2010, according to the Malaysian fisheries directorate
, told reporters.

It would be the first time Bangladesh sent fishery workers to Malaysia since Kuala Lumpur cancelled the visas of 55,000 Bangladeshi jobseekers in early 2009, citing the global economic slowdown.

Bangladesh had started training programmes in response to the invitation, an official said.

‘We will send trained fishermen, especially from the coastal area, under government supervision,’ said Jafar Ahmed Khan, secretary to the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment.

With a production of 1.56 million tons, Malaysian fisheries were 93 per cent self-sufficient in employment in 2007 and the government had planned to reach self-sufficiency by 2010, according to the Malaysian fisheries directorate

“We are now assessing the proposal and hope we can send fishermen to Malaysia,” Zafar said.
Referring to Bangladesh’s high commissioner in Malaysia, he said their monthly salary would be equivalent to Tk 15,000 and the hiring fishing companies would provide them airfares.

The secretary said Malaysia also has demands for workers in the manufacturing and plantation sector.

Malaysia imposed a ban on hiring Bangladeshi workers in March last year, citing economic recession and instantly cancelled job visas of 55,000 Bangladeshis.

However, labour migration experts said a lot of malpractices in the recruitment process prompted the Malaysian government to impose the ban.

“We hope, the reopening process would start with the hiring of the fishermen,” he noted

Strong laws for safe climate : Bangladesh set to establish 64 environment courts

Tuesday, September 21st, 2010

BERJAYABangladesh is set to establish environment courts in 64 districts as the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has placed the Environment Court Bill 2010 in the Parliament, seeking provisions for allowing citizens to file cases against polluters and for setting up at least one environment court in each district.

The government has also placed the Climate Change Trust Bill 2010 in the legislature.
Two bills were placed in parliament yesterday seeking to increase power and number of environment courts to take stern actions against polluters and also to establish a trust to tackle adverse impacts of climate change.

State Minister for Environment and Forest Hasan Mahmud placed the bills, which were sent to the parliamentary standing committees on environment and forest ministry for scrutiny.

The bill to enact new law aims to expedite trial of environment related offences and offers setting up environment court at every district headquarters with expanded jurisdiction to take stern actions against all sorts of polluters.

A judicial officer of the rank of a joint district judge will be appointed as the judge of the environment court to conduct trial of environment related offences alongside his general jurisdiction.

The bill also proposed for setting up one or more special magistrate’s courts at district level with the authority to hold trial of environment offences and issue order to confiscate goods and other materials as punishment.

It proposed repealing the existing Environment Court Act, 2000 which allows the government to form court only at divisional headquarters. According to the existing law, a person might be jailed for maximum three years or fined Tk 3 lakh for polluting environment.

But the proposed legislation increased the jail term up to five years and the fine up to Tk 5 lakh.

Both the special magistrate’s court and the environment court will enjoy authority to realise fines from the offenders. Besides, the courts may order to meet expenses for conducting cases and give the money in compensation to the affected individuals or organisations.

In defence of the new legislation, the state minister said the special magistrate can only run mobile courts under the existing laws to take actions against only production, import, marketing, stocking of polythene shopping bags and against vehicles responsible for polluting environment by emitting smoke.

“The special magistrate’s court cannot take actions against serious environment related offences under the existing law,” he said in a brief statement tagged with the copy of the bill.

Under the proposed law, all sorts of cases involving environment pollution can be filed with the special magistrate’s courts, Hasan Mahmud added.

CLIMATE CHANGE TRUST
The proposed legislation on climate change trust says the government will constitute a 17-member trustee board as soon as possible after enactment of the law for tackling adverse impacts of climate change for which the government has already allocated Tk 1,400 crore.

The ministers of finance, agriculture, food and disaster management, foreign, women and children affairs, water resources, shipping, health and family welfare, and LGRD, and secretaries of the cabinet division, finance division and the central bank’s governor are, among others, members of the trustee board to be led by the minister for environment and forest.

The bill also proposed formation of a 12-member technical committee comprised of government officials and climate change experts to assist the trustee board to perform its functions.

The board will work on climate change adaptation, mitigation, technology transfer, finance and investment and take necessary actions for conducting research.

It will have a “climate change trust fund” which will be consisted of funds received from the government, donor agencies and countries and different sources approved by the government.

In defence of enactment of the legislation, the state minister said Bangladesh has been recognised as the most vulnerable country regarding the effects of climate change.

The government has already taken various measures including approval of Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan 2009 and also formed a climate change trust fund to tackle possible adverse impacts of climate change, he said.

The Environment Court Bill stipulates a maximum punishment of five years of imprisonment or 5,00,000 taka in fine or both for people guilty of polluting the environment.
State minister for environment and forest Hasan Mahmud placed the Bill in the House against the backdrop of widespread pollution of air and water across Bangladesh.
The Bill proposed an amendment to the law making provisions for establishment of an environment court in each district headquarters.
The Bill also proposed a provision for allowing any aggrieved person to sue a polluter and demand compensation.
The new bill proposed another provision to empower the director general of the Department of Environment to dispose of any case, even if it is pending with an environment court, through mediation between the plaintiff and the accused.
The Cabinet on July 19 approved the draft Bill seeking amendments to the Environment Court Act 2000.
According to the existing Environment Court Act 2000, an aggrieved person has to apply to the Department of Environment to seeking redress for pollution, and no court can take cognisance of any offence of pollution without a report submitted by an inspector in writing.
It stipulates provisions for setting up environment courts in the divisional headquarters with joint district judges.
Only four courts have so far been established in Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna and Sylhet.

Bangladesh to launch its own new satellite soon

Tuesday, September 21st, 2010

BERJAYASatellite is an?object?which has been placed into?orbit?by?human?endeavor. Satellites are usually semi-independent computer-controlled systems.

Satellite subsystems attend many tasks, such as power generation, thermal control, telemetry,attitude control?and orbit control.

Bangladesh government is to launch a new satellite soon for the improvement of information and communication technology.

The satellite will upgrade the broadcasting facilities of the country to international standard, a government press release said.

The decision was taken at a ministerial meeting, where various technical aspects in launching the satellite, possible cost and implementation of the project were discussed.

Experts said launch of the satellite will take at least three years and the cost was estimated at about $200-300 million.

Anthrax panic Threatens $400 Million Export in Bangladesh

Monday, September 20th, 2010

BERJAYAAnthrax is an?acute?disease?caused by the bacteria?Bacillus anthracis.?Most forms of the disease are lethal, and it affects both humans and other animals.

Anthrax is a potentially lethal bacterium that exists naturally in the soil and commonly infects livestock, which ingest or inhale its spores while grazing. It can be transmitted to humans who handle or eat infected animals.

Anthrax commonly affects hoofed animals such as cow, sheep and goats, but humans who come into contact with the infected animals can get sick from anthrax.

Abu Hadi Noor Ali Khan, professor of the veterinary department at?BangladeshAgricultural University, said the outbreak could not be contained without adequate supply of anthrax vaccines.

??Only the?government?produces anthrax vaccines and the vaccines produced so far this year can vaccinate less than 5 per cent of the cattle,?? Khan told English daily The New Age.

Most of the consumers in cities and small towns deliberately avoid beef curry and beef kabab from their daily platter for fear of being infected. For the young people they have resorted to ordering chicken or vegetarian menu, specially in popular hangouts of KFC,?Pizza Hut?and other fast food outlets.

IEDCR director Mahmudur Rahman said all the cases were not anthrax, as many panic-stricken people are dubbing regular infections or any skin abnormalities as anthrax infections.

Meat traders have threatened to strike down the capital if the?government?does not come up with an effective solution against anthrax within two weeks.

??No anthrax patient has been found in the city yet. Instead blamed the media and thegovernment?for creating panic over the infection,?? claimed Golam Mortuza Montu, President of?Bangladesh?Meat Traders Association.

A cattle market in the fringe of the capital Dhaka, is literally empty of livestock for sale. Number of cattle coming to the city has dropped radically. Many butchers have hung ??no meats available?? signs in front of their shops while others have barely managed to sell their stock.

Bangladesh?remains on high vigilant for reports of fresh anthrax infections creeping far and wide in the countryside, amid significant fall in consumption of beef and mutton among the?Bangladeshi?consumers.

Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdul Latif Biswas declared the current crisis as nationwide anthrax threat.

The?government?fearing?the panic taking deep roots in the economy has formed a national committee for control of anthrax infection before the Eid ul Azha, the Muslim festival of sacrifice of cattle in next November.

The manufacturers of finished leather and leather goods, who make nearly half a billion dollars in export earnings are equally nervous.

Last year the export earning from exports of finished leather amounted $226 million and export of leather shoes and leather goods earned more than USD 200 million.

Usually beef and mutton is in high demand during Muslim festival Eid-ul Azha. Nearly 40 per cent of the annual supply of rawhides is procured during the festival, said Mohammed Aftab, president of the?Bangladesh?Hides and Skin Merchants Association.

The anthrax infection which began in a northern?Bangladesh?village in August 20 has gradually spread to half of the country and public health officials raised the number of confirmed infections to nearly 600. The current outbreak has been described as the biggest in the country??s history in two decades.

Health officials visiting the affected areas blamed consuming beef from sick cows, which were not vaccinated and cause spread of anthrax.

Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) said none had died from the infection and all affected persons are under treatment.

At this moment, in Bangladesh the Anthrax is the alarming subject matter.

BANGLADESH: Decades-old water dispute could destroy nation,s agriculture

Monday, September 20th, 2010

BERJAYASources :Ongoing wrangling over vital waterways that pass through China and India ? the two most populous countries in the world ? could lead to agricultural devastation further downstream in Bangladesh, experts warn.

The Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers – together one of the largest freshwater flows in the world – pass through Bangladesh on their way to the ocean, but the rivers?? catchments are outside the country, leaving the impoverished nation to rely on neighbours to allow water through.

However, with neighbours under pressure from population and economic growth looking to their own water and hydro-energy needs, Bangladesh is suffering.

As climate change increases Himalayan glacier melt and swells rivers below, China and India are likely to move forward with more dam projects, said Steve Luby of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh.

??The loss of the Himalayan ice pack means China and India are going ahead with plans to dam, and decrease water supply to Bangladesh,?? Luby said. ??That puts a country that is already vulnerable in a worse position. In Bangladesh, more than 80 percent of the water used is used in agriculture.??

Bangladesh first felt the impact of disrupted flow from the Ganges in 1975 when India built the Farakka barrage, which led to an almost 50 percent drop in dry season flow.

Now India, with a population of1.1 billion that is expected to swell to more than 1.5 billion in the next four decades, plans to construct another large dam that will block a significant portion of downstream flow from the Meghna.

On top of that, China with plans to divert water for its own use from the Brahmaputra, which accounts for 71 percent of the water in the Ganges delta, said Ahsan Uddin Ahmed, of the Ministry of Water Resources.

??If somebody diverts the main flow and takes the water away, then a major ecological catastrophe will take place in this delta,?? said Ahmed, who is executive director of the centre for global change in the ministry??s Water Resources Planning Organization (WARPO). ??It??ll have a tremendous adverse implication on Bangladesh.??

Photo: David Swanson/IRIN
Less water could spell trouble for Bangladeshi farmers downstream
According to World Bank and UN estimates, China??s population of more than 1.3 billion is expected to grow by about 70 million by 2050. While its projected population growth rate is lower than India??s, its GDP has skyrocketed at 10 percent or more annually over much of the past two decades.

Downstream dilemmas

Many of Bangladesh??s aquifers have become contaminated with arsenic, making them dangerous for human consumption. Surface water is also heavily contaminated, while the recharge rate on deep, underground aquifers is too slow for them to be a viable alternative.

Ahmed said that with too little water, agricultural production drops, causing a rise in local food prices and seriously impacting a country where the UN estimates 50 percent of the population live on less than a US$1 a day and 46 percent of children are malnourished.

??When rice prices rise, people eat less,?? he said. ??Less water means less grain means less food for people who are already malnourished.??

Bangladesh already faces water shortages because of severe drought in the north.

With two-thirds of the country??s population working in the agriculture sector, communities are hard hit, said Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive of the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association.

??Part of the northern region is facing desertification. There is a huge shortage of irrigation facilities,?? she said. ??Because of the unilateral withdrawal of water by India, major rivers have silted up. These rivers have died. Salinity is spreading because there is no water coming from upstream to push the seawater back.??

Increased salinity has caused groundwater problems and led to a drop in agricultural production in the southern coastal regions, where farmers once relied on the Ganges during the dry season for their water-dependent rice crops.

??When the water became saline and there wasn??t enough water coming from upstream, people had to forfeit the most important crop and gradually they picked up less economically important crops, so their whole livelihoods changed,?? said Ahmed from WARPO.

Ahmed warns that it will probably become ecologically impossible for people to live or maintain livelihoods in the southwest of Bangladesh.

Old friends, old problems

With these ongoing water disputes, Bangladesh is having a hard time pushing back against India – its powerful neighbour that helped Bangladesh become independent in 1971.

??It??s a difficult situation because India is a large country,?? said Adilur Khan, secretary of human rights NGO Odhikar. ??At the official level, India is a big brother that puts pressure on its small neighbours.??

A Joint River Commission established by the two countries in 1972, and the 1996 water-sharing treaty between the two countries, have done little to resolve the problem.

With no end in sight to the dispute, experts agree that it will be essential to hold multilateral talks between India, Bangladesh, China, Bhutan, Nepal – the five neighbouring countries that contain the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna basin.

More Facts and datas !

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina receives UN award

Monday, September 20th, 2010
BERJAYA

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina receives a UN award for Bangladesh's outstanding achievements in attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) particularly in reducing child mortality at a New York hotel on Sunday, September 19, 2010. Photo: PID

Sources Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday received a UN award for Bangladesh’s outstanding achievements in attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) particularly in reducing child mortality at a colourful function at a New York hotel.

“She (Hasina) received the award on behalf of the country particularly for our achievements in reducing child mortality by 50 percent,” Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad told a news briefing.

The award was conferred upon Bangladesh and five other countries a day ahead of a high-profile MDG conference on the sidelines of the 65th UN General Assembly while the award committee highly appreciated Hasina’s personal leadership in spearheading a campaign in achieving the MDG goals.

“This gesture is particularly encouraging to us as we have been sparing no efforts in achieving all the MDGs by 2015 despite the adverse impacts of the recent global crisis, global warming and climate change,” the premier said in a brief response while receiving the award.

The award came 10 years after the general assembly of the global forum had set the eight-point MDG at a session.

Officials said the annual MDG awards were intended to support and raise awareness about the UN development goals while the global forum had set a deadline of 15 years for the member nations to achieve those.

The ceremony came hours after Sheikh Hasina arrived New York to join the UNGA while senior government leaders including Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Planning Minister (retd) air vice marshal AK Khondker, Health Minister AFM Ruhal Haque and Foreign Minister Dipu Moni were present as she received it

Hasina urges expats to invest more in Bangladesh

Monday, September 20th, 2010

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged the Bangladeshi expatriates in Europe to invest more in various development sectors of their homeland to accelerate its socio- economic development.

While exchanging views with them at Hotel Sheraton International on Saturday evening, she said her government has taken various steps to create investment-friendly atmosphere in the country, particularly for foreign investors and expatriate Bangladeshis.

A large number of expatriates including Awami League leaders and supporters living in the European countries attended the meeting. Younger daughter of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Sheikh Rehana was also present at the meeting.

All-Europe Awami League President Anil Das Gupta, UK Awami League Adviser Sultan Sharif, Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Abul Kalam Azad, Deputy Press Secretary Mahbubul Hoque Shakil, UK AL leaders A Gani and Prof. Hashem and Austria AL leader Nazrul Islam were present. The expatriates gathered in the Belgian capital as the Prime Minister made a stopover of some 20 hours here on her way to New York to attend the 65th UN General Assembly (UNGA).

The expatriates expressed deep gratitude to the Prime Minister for the decision to include their names in the voter list. She was also congratulated on her being placed in the sixth position among the 10 top women leaders of the world ranked by internationally reputed Time magazine.

They thanked the government of Sheikh Hasina for keeping prices of essentials within purchasing capacity of the common people and maintaining peaceful law and order during the holy month of Ramzan and Eid-ul-Fitr festival.

Sheikh Hasina recalled the contribution of the Bangladeshi expatriates to securing her release from jail during the two-year rule of the past Caretaker Government.

The Prime Minister said her government from the very first day of assuming office has been making relentless efforts to make the country??s economy vibrant as well as ensuring socio-economic prosperity of the people.

In this regard, she mentioned her government??s success in maintaining economic growth at almost 6 percent last fiscal even amid the global economic slowdown.

On democracy, the Prime Minister said her government is committed to establish all democratic rights of the citizens of the country. ??Following the landslide victory in the December 29, 2008 general election, the people have reposed a great responsibility on us to work for their social and economic development,?? she said.

She also expressed gratitude to the expatriates for their historic role when she was barred from returning home from abroad by the caretaker administration.

On investment, the Prime Minister said the last BNP-Jamaat regime and caretaker government jeopardized the country??s economic and industrial development.

She highlighted her government initiatives to attract foreign investment and said various innovative projects were undertaken for successful mobility of the country??s economy.

Sheikh Hasina said expatriate Bangladeshis can play a great role for national development by bringing huge investment in the country. Referring to her government??s initiatives to constitute the Expatriates Welfare Bank, she said the bank would ensure safe migration and effective investment of the expatriates.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was scheduled to leave Brussels for New York at local time 11:15am on Sunday.

Share of grants in aid to Bangladesh declines

Sunday, September 19th, 2010

Sources :the years since independence, significant changes have taken place in the total aid package to Bangladesh as the share of grants declined gradually.

“The decreasing volume of grants has resulted in a larger proportion of loans in the total aid package,” said an official at the Economic Relations Division (ERD).

He said the share of grants, which was 88.2 percent in 1972-73, declined to 53.2 percent in 1979-80, 55.4 percent in 1984-85 and 35.6 percent in 2008-09.

The ERD official informed that up to June 30, 2009, a total of about $ 61.48 billion in external assistance was committed – 10.99 percent in food aid, 18.01 percent commodity aid and 71.00 percent project aid.

Of the committed amount, some $ 50.37 billion of foreign aid was disbursed, of which 43.60 percent in grants and 56.40 percent as loans. If foreign aid is classified by purpose, 12.89 percent was disbursed as food aid, 21.66 percent as commodity aid and 65.45 percent as project aid.

Talking to UNB correspondent Golam Moin Uddin, former adviser of caretaker government Dr. Mirza Azizul Islam said that the country should go for more soft term loans rather than hard loans or conditional loans.

“Conditional loan could be taken if it means betterment of the country,” he added.

The former adviser viewed that the flow of grants to the country is on the declining trend as the country’s aid utilization is good.

Citing the recent ADB commitment of $ 615 million to Bangladesh, he said that the government should be cautious before taking such hard loans. Mirza Aziz also observed that the aid scenario has now changed completely from that of just after country’s independence as the number of multilateral donors is now two to three times more than the bilateral donors.

According to ERD sources, bilateral aid, which was 75.4 percent of total aid in 1973-78, decreased to 23.4 percent in 2008-09. However, multilateral aid has grown from 24.6 percent to nearly 76.6 percent during the same period.

Furthermore, the flow of food aid and commodity aid has also declined drastically. Food aid has declined consistently from 47.9 percent of total aid in 1971-72 to 2.8 percent in 2008-09.

Commodity aid has similarly fallen from 50.8 percent to nil during the same period, while project aid has increased sharply from 1.3 percent to 97.2 percent over the same period.

Among the bilateral donors, Japan tops the list in terms of cumulative disbursement followed by USA and Canada. International Development Association (IDA), the soft lending window of the World Bank, is the largest amongst the multilateral development institutions followed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Talking to the news agency, the ERD official said that projects having co-financiers are usually more complex and demand greater attention than those financed by more than a single source.

He, however, said that sometimes rigid conditions create difficulties in the speedy implementation of projects or utilization of economic assistance.

LATE NIGHT COFFEE…!!-think positive

Sunday, September 19th, 2010

BERJAYAby Kajal Asar on Monday, September 20, 2010 at 12:05am
The key lies in consciously re-creating yourself to become a positive person. Once you become a positive person the positive thinking happen spontaneously. It is not something you force yourself to do but rather someone you have become. The more positive we become toward ourselves, the more we begin to react or act in a positive way without any effort.

Ask yourself in positive way.Instead of asking your self, how can I think positive? Ask “Why am I not already thinking positive”? Why is my natural reaction to whatever event, person or experience expressed in a negative way?As soon as we start dealing with the answers to these questions we are getting closer to creating a more positive being, which will spontaneously create the positive thoughts we want in the first place.We must remember that we create our world from the inside out and not the other way around. Trying to force ourselves to think positive when it’s not what we are feeling inside, it is like we are stressing ourselves, to do, do and do.

Nothing is there which is not in control of human.Instead of forcing yourself to be positive in life, try to remain positive with your acts. When you feel tensed take a break and just relax. Just believe that for any problem you will surely find Positive solution. When you implement positive attitude in act and your work, slowly but surely you will be positive thinker.

You can try this:

Keep your list of positive thought with you at all times and be aware of your mindset at all times.

The moment you start having a negative thought try to replace it with a positive one.
Always try to list your positive acts, how you remained positive while in trouble, positive thinking that made you feel good, before bed because your mind will absorb it much better.