Dhaka:Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury emphasized the importance of building strong institutional partnerships among NGOs, the private sector, and the government to tackle development challenges and secure sustainable financing.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the minister highlighted this need during a seminar titled "Beyond Foreign Dependence: The Future of NGO Financing in Bangladesh," held at the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies in the capital.
The minister called for timely measures to ensure sustainable financing for NGOs and noted the government's efforts to handle various national crises and maintain accountability. He expressed a desire for an effective response to these challenges.
Amir Khosru advocated for an integrated framework that incorporates human development, cultural preservation, and private-sector involvement. He pointed out that NGOs and other stakeholders already contribute to fields like the creative economy and suggested that such partnerships require a more institutional and policy-focused framework.
The minister underscored the role of NGOs in delivering government services at the grassroots level and urged for policies to be formulated and executed within specific timelines to support sustainable NGO financing.
Highlighting the potential of traditional handicrafts such as Shital Pati, he stressed the need for modern designs, value addition, and marketing to elevate these products to international markets.
Furthermore, the minister outlined four conditions for approving development projects: value for money, return on investment, creation of employment or entrepreneurship, and environmental considerations. He emphasized that no project would be approved without meeting these criteria.
The seminar was also attended by State Minister for Planning Md. Zonaed Abdur Rahim Saki and Planning Division Secretary SM Shakil Akhter, among others.