Democratic space and fight against corruption are essential to harness the huge development potential of Bangladesh, European Union and Germany said Tuesday.
Bangladesh is a new democracy where the government and the opposition should keep space open for talks, European Union commissioner for development Andris Piebalg said at a joint press conference with German minister for economic cooperation and development Dirk Niebel in Dhaka.
Democratic space is crucial for maintaining economic growth and development, Andris Piebalg said.
German minister Dirk Niebel laid stress on fighting corruption to reach benefit of development to the poor.
He said civil society was a partner of politicians for development of the country.
'They [civil society] are better part of politicians,' he said.
Describing Bangladesh as a stable country in the region, they said the EU and Germany were working for building a longer term strategy to help Bangladesh to become a middle-income country.
The two visiting European dignitaries came up with their views after a meeting behind closed doors with a select group of representatives of non-government organisations and media.
Professor Mohammad Ibrahim, executive director of Centre for Mass Education in Science, told New Age that the EU and German ministers wanted to know the conditions in which the civil society organisations were working in Bangladesh.
They also wanted to know about human rights and governance situation here, he said.
'Most of the members of the civil society said the scope of their work should be wider. Their works should not be undermined,'said Ibrahim, a teacher of physics at Dhaka University.
The Daily Star editor, Mahfuz Anam, said the government could not accommodate dissenting voices.
He said the people had expected a lot from the government as it had come to power with a huge majority. However, frustration brewed as many promises were not fulfilled, he added.
Boishakhi Television's chief editor and chief executive officer Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul said the government had enacted Right to Information Act, but the people could not get its benefit as the government and non-government organisations could not provide necessary manpower.
Most of the civil society organisations could not function properly as they were over politicised, he said.
Most of the representatives of the civil society organisations said 'democratic scope' was shrinking in Bangladesh, where custodial killing, disappearance of people and repression on leaders and activists of opposition political parties had become common incidents, a representative of a rights organisation told New Age.
They said judiciary had become an 'extension of the executive branch' and Anti-Corruption Commission had been weakened.
Source : New Age
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