BSS, Rajshahi :
Adviser to the Prime Minister on International Affairs Dr Gowher Rizvi here Monday said NGOs contribution to the country’s development and in ensuring good governance and women empowerment is unprecedented.
He said the present government is not against the NGOs operations and their development activities in the country, but always supportive of their nation- building work as the government believes in GO-NGO cordial relation.
He was addressing the Divisional Level Seminar titled “National Integrity Strategy Affairs” at Nanking Darbar Hall in Rajshahi city. Rajshahi Divisional Commissioner Office and NGO Affairs Bureau jointly organized the seminar.
Dr Rizvi, however, said intensification of collaboration between the government and non-government organizations has become an urgent need for cherished development and welfare of the people in general and the poor and distressed in particular.
All of us irrespective of any particular government and non-government organizations should feel how to take forward the nation through substantial and sustainable reduction of poverty and hunger and the curse of illiteracy.
In his keynote presentation, KM Abdus Salam, Director of NGO Affairs Bureau, narrated the issue of National Integrity Strategy and other activities adopted by the bureau in this regard.
With Commissioner of Rajshahi Division Helaluddin Ahmed in the chair, Director General of NGO Bureau Nurun Nabi Talukder and Additional Commissioner Munir Hossain also spoke as special guests. Apart from this, all eight Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) were present at the seminar.
Chief guest Dr Gowher Rizvi said country’s 13 percent of total development works are being executed by the NGOs. Not only that, they do work in many hard-to-reach areas. Some of the Bangladesh’s NGOs have become famous. So, we have no scope of ignoring their role.
He, however, said the NGOs must follow country’s rules and regulation during the implementation of development projects. “We will reward good NGOs and rebuke the bad ones”, he said.
Besides, he said the DCs and Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) should take the responsibilities of monitoring and supervising the NGO activities so that none of those can misappropriate money in the name of development activities.
More than 200 NGO executives and officials from eight districts of the division attended the seminar.
