Dhaka, Oct 17 (bdnews24.com)–Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has said corruption has to be curbed if poverty is to be prevented.

She stressed a strong democratic system to ease poverty in Bangladesh.

"Democracy is the tool to alleviate poverty," she said on Saturday at a much-hyped "all-party" programme to launch anti-poverty campaign in the country.

"We need to move forward. For this, poverty has to be eradicated. Poverty will not be reduced if the social security net is not widened."

"Our fight is to prevent poverty for which we're doing politics and the thing we need most is national consensus.

She said the Anticorruption Commission will be allowed to work independently.

"We want to see the country free from poverty. We want to provide what the constitution has said about the fundamental rights for the people.

The programme marking the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty started without opposition chief Khaleda Zia who backed out at the last moment.

The prime minister said: "Assets have limits. So when one loots, the other part becomes poor.

"But we do not want to see that. We want to ensure equal distribution of wealth and rights.

Hasina asked all to unite beyond political ideologies and said, "Let's save lives of the poor people of our country and ensure a better living for them."

The prime minister said Bangladesh had become a food-surplus country in her previous stint in office.

But the BNP-led alliance government made the country a food-deficit one again as they thought they would have more aid if there was deficit.

She also stated the initiatives taken by her government to prevent poverty from the country.

Hasina said another 1.20 crore people slipped into poverty in the seven years since her last administration left office-- two years of the caretaker administration and five of the BNP- led government.

"The number of the poor rose 20 percent during this time when their number was supposed to drop in the country."

Hasina sniped at Khaleda for skipping the anti-poverty programme.

"Perhaps, she did not come finding the agenda of this conference being 'National consensus will prevent poverty'.

"She did not like it. She would have come if the agenda would be 'We will loot property, be rich'," the prime minister said in her trademark sarcasm.

About the agenda she said, "It's one that speaks of time.

Alluding to her arch political rival, the prime minister said what those who pocketed money for orphans would give to the country.

"So they didn't like the agenda."

Former prime minister Khaleda is facing trial on charges of embezzling Tk 2 crore from the Zia Orphanage Trust that allegedly existed only on paper.

"After the end of our tenure in 2001, some 25,000 of our leaders and supporters faced tortures by the then ruling party," Hasina said.

"After that government took power in 2001, they unleashed a reign of terror, their torture was unrelenting.

"They grabbed people's houses, a six-year child was gang-raped as its father had cast votes for Awami League.

"Many of the leaders are present here, who faced such tortures.

"And we are doing enough to stop repetition of such incidents. Two or three incidents have occurred, but we've taken immediate steps against those.

"We're trying to maintain the law and order, and as we said in our election pledge we will try everyone for violation of law, whatever their identity.

"The looted wealth will be recovered and the corrupt will be tried. They can not escape whatever may the party identity be.

"I am happy that the opposition members of parliament attend the standing committee meetings. They also join the teams going abroad to join international events.

"As you are doing this, I will ask the opposition, 'Please come to parliament, speak for the people'."

She said, "It is unfortunate that increasing one or two seats in the first row is more important to her (Khaleda) than the national interest.

"We had got six seats against 62 members (in parliament) and they have been given twice what they deserve.

"But they're not satisfied.

Hasina asked, "Why they want something they could not give us?"

"We want to establish the country as a developed one by 2020 as the succeeding year is the Golden Jubilee of our independence in 2021.

"We want to build a modern, science and technology-based Bangladesh, a digital one, not only for the urban areas. We'll ensure technology for the rural areas

"Our aim is the overall development of people's lives and ensuring safety for everyone in Bangladesh. That's why we do politics, though the purpose is not the same for others.

"In the election pledges, we gave the highest preference to preventing poverty and we're taking measures to reach the target after coming to power.

"We have always been facing some problems after assuming office. There was a terrible incident after two months (BDR mutiny) which we solved. We also faced (cyclone) Aila.

"But we could overcome the situation with the help of the people.

The prime minister said this year the ADP entails projects worth 30,500 crore, GDP growth is 5.9 percent and remittance inflow has increased 22.4 percent that is worth 9689.3 million dollars.

Exports have also gone up from the previous fiscal year.

The government has also allotted Tk 4,000 crore as stimulus package for the export-oriented industries.

She said, "The reserve hiked to $9366 million this year, which is the highest ever. It increases confidence. But I was wondering about criticism by some.

Speaker Abdul Hamid earlier in his speech said he was hurt that Khaleda had not taken the opportunity to share the stage with Hasina to launch anti-poverty call.

He administered oath marking the day that took place altogether at 64 districts and six places of the capital.

The programme, organised by the APPG as per Bangladesh's international commitment to halve the number of poor people by 2015, kicked off after Hasina had reached the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre, the venue.

Finance minister A M A Muhith, chief whip Abdus Shahid and member secretary of All-Party Parliamentary Group Shishir Kumar Shil and United Nation's Millennium Campaign director Salil Shetty were also on stage.

The chief patron of the APPG, Hamid said the programme was not a political one.

"The nation was eagerly waiting to see the two leaders on the same stage.

"I finalised the programme after getting her approval," Hamid said.

"It hurt me that she did not attend the conference. She could have delivered her yesterday's statement on this stage.

Hamid hoped to see the two leaders together sometime in the future. "There is no alternative to national consensus," the speaker said.

He said he was neutrally discharging his duty as speaker.

"The parliament is directed in line with the Constitution and the Rules of Procedures. The government never interferes here."

Muhith said: "We were supposed to make a concerted pledge against poverty from this programme. It will be somewhat disturbed as the opposition chief has not come."

Chief whip and APPG co-chairman Shahid said: "Refraining from attending the conference proves that Khaleda Zia does not want a Bangladesh free from poverty.

"She does not want to work for the development of the country."

Terming her statement on Friday 'untrue', he said: "She proved that she does not do what she says.

Her lame excuses have surprised many even in her own party," Shahid claimed.

Flanked by Shahid and opposition chief whip Zainul Abdin Farroque, speaker Hamid at a media briefing on Thursday said both Hasina and Khaleda would attend the opening function.

The National Committee against Poverty, the Jatiya Sangsad, and People's Empowerment Trust are assisting in the event.

Awami League MP Asaduzzaman Noor conducted the programme. No BNP leader or MP was in attendance, though cabinet members and ruling AL MPs were there.

Shetty said: "From the UN campaign for poverty side we've converted this day from seminars and speeches to a day which mobilises millions of ordinary people in the grassroots level in the programme "Stand up and take action against poverty, stand up and take action for the MDGs.

"I am really pleased the parliament has taken the leadership to organise the event and is supporting this initiative. This is the body which can ensure execution of the programme."

Millennium Development Goals were signed on Sep 29, 2000 by 189 world leaders both from rich and poor countries.

"We've seen some big achievements, 40 million more children are now at schools, 800 million people have come out of poverty, 2 million lives of children have been saved," the UN official said.

Bangladesh has made a commendable progress in many areas of the MDGs and it has been a high performer in comparison with many countries of the South Asia, Shetty said.

It has made considerable headway in the fields of child mortality, action against malaria, sending children to schools and political challenges, he said.

At Friday's news conference, Khaleda hit out at the Awami League-led government for not cooperating with the opposition.

"Unilaterally cooperating with the government amounts to condone its crime, anarchy, repression and violation of human rights."

The opposition chief said: "Observing the events over the last few days, we regret to announce that it will not be possible for us to join tomorrow's programme in the current circumstances."

Her decision drew flak from political commentators and the ruling party.

Shil said on Thursday that the UNDP had approved a budget of $ 1.28 lakh for the three-day programme.

bdnews24.com/mk/su/bd/1557h.