On
the eve of Least Developed Countries
Ministerial Conference which begins
next Saturday in the city. a number
of side events has been planned
by civil society activists, left
leaning political parties and NGOs. The
activists, civil society and NGOs
have formed separate alliances to
protest the World Trade Organisation
(WTO) and demand for fair trade.
A series of activities including
holding of rallies, demonstration,
seminars and display of indigenous
products have been planned against
the threat after implementation
of WTO in 2005.
The International Civil Society
Forum is holding a two-day seminar
on "Advancing LDC Interests
in the Fifth WTO Ministerial"
in the city. Participants from Bangladesh,
Malaysia. Zimbabwe, Laos, Kampuchea,
The Netherlands, Ethiopia, Togo,
India, Britain, Nepal, Switzerland
and Vietnam are brainstorming to
find options to negotiate with WTO
to alleviate poverty, trade and
human development.
The International Civil Society
Forum would raise voice of the stakeholders
views for the LDC Trade Ministers.
The groups would review the official
work plan for Cancun and to express
views on the emerging agenda of
the multilateral trade regime. The
Fair Trade Alliance held a press
conference on Wednesday and expressed
concern over unfair trade in LDCs.
The Alliance announced to hold rally
at Muktangaan today (Friday) at
3 pin and expects that the foreign
participants at the international
civil society would also join the
rally.
The Fair Trade Alliance is joined
by BRAC, Proshika, Oxfam, Action
Aid, Centre for Policy Dialogue
(CPD), Telecine Subtext, Coalition
for Urban Poor, Bangladesh Environment
Lawyers Association (BELA), Fulki,
Karmajibi Nari, INCIDIN and couple
of garments workers union.
Simultaneously another alliance
of the lI NGOs coordinated by Campaign
for Good Governance (SUPRO) will
hold a Press conference at Dhaka
Reporters Unity (DRU) at 12 pin
on Friday. A display of medicinal
plants will be held on May 31 from
1 pm to 6
pm.
Earlier the Alliance organised a
views sharing meeting with journalists
of different print and electronic
media at the National Press Club
on May 26.A conference of grassroots
representatives would be held on
June I at LGED Bhaban. At the end
of the day a declaration will be
adopted which is likely to reject
WTO and argue that it would cause
miseries and increase poverty and
diseases in the poor countries.
On June 2 a rally will he held at
Muktangaan to protest Bangladesh's
tilt to WTO which the activists
fear would influence lopsided trade
imbalance with the LDC. Meanwhile
a number of political organisations
have protested the Bangladesh position
on WTO.
United Labour Front of 15 peasants
and labourer's organisation appealed
to the ministers of the LDC to adopt
a common strategy for a unified
position on WTO. Jatiya Samajtantrik
Dal (JSD) announced to hold a countrywide
programme today (Friday) to demand
fair trade of third world countries.
The programme includes rallies,
protest march and demonstrations.
