CPD's activism originates from a conviction that it is hardly possible to promote the effective governance needed for a successful implementation of development policies without establishing domestic ownership over our policy agendas. We believe that loss of ownership over national policy agendas to our principal aid donors was an important factor in the deterioration in the quality of governance in Bangladesh. Effective governance, thus, demands democratically sustainable policies, which originate from a process of domestic dialogue, designed through stakeholder participation. In order that the stakeholders obtain a real sense of inclusiveness in the policy discourse it is of critical importance that they are given the widest possible access to information and knowledge about the state of development and the process of policymaking in Bangladesh. The creation of CPD's website is motivated by this important objective. The web site will provide CPD with an effective medium to extend its outreach and disseminate its output. Visitors to the CPD website will be able to access up-to-date information about CPD dialogues and research activities. The website will provide a unique opportunity to access a wealth of information and analysis from CPD publications which will be available online. This will also allow CPD to engage in an interactive dialogue with a wider constituency where CPD hopes to benefit from a critical assessment of its activities and output and also by way of suggestions on how CPD could make its activities more effective in accordance with the felt-needs of their audience. CPD hopes that policymakers, NGO activists, academics, experts, entrepreneurs, students and other stakeholders in civil society will regularly visit our website to draw upon our dialogue reports, research outputs and the trade related data base which is being created at CPD. The website will give CPD an opportunity to network more closely with a wider circle of people, including non-resident Bangladeshis, many of whom have in the past actively supported CPD in its activities to promote an ongoing interactive dialogue on policy issues relating to Bangladesh. CPD will, of course, be grateful for any suggestions towards improvement of the design and content of the website in order that it is kept more user-friendly and effective.

Rehman Sobhan