Civil society leaders on Thursday urged the removal of bureaucratic barriers and emphasized the need for an open and free space for raising voices.
Their remarks came during a seminar held at the CIRDAP auditorium in the city in connection with the 4th Monitoring Round (MR) of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC). The seminar was jointly organized by COAST Foundation, CDP, and the BDCSO Process.
Chaired by AHM Jahangir, additional secretary at the Economic Relations Division (ERD) and National Coordinator of GPEDC 4th MR, the seminar was moderated by Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, executive director of COAST and South Asia Civil Society Focal Point for GPEDC.
The keynote presentation was delivered by Dr Sohel Iqbal of COAST, with additional contributions from Jahangir Hossain Masum of CDP, Ziaul Haque Mukta of CSRL, Luca De Fraia, co-chair of GPEDC, and Ben Morgan, UNRC representative, among others.
In his speech, Ziaul Haque Mukta emphasized that civil society organizations (CSOs) must remain critical of political society, stressing that Bengal has a rich history of civil society development.
Luca De Fraia highlighted the importance of an independent and proactive civil society for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Dr Sohel Iqbal, in his keynote address, outlined key outcomes from past conferences, including the Rome and Kampala conferences, and discussed five guiding principles for development effectiveness, such as local ownership, result orientation, accountability, and ensuring no one is left behind.
Jahangir Hossain Masum explained the monitoring questionnaires used in the GPEDC process, while Dr Rezaul Bashar Siddique and Abul Kalam Azad from ERD emphasized the nonpartisan nature of civil society.
Ben Morgan and Sardar M Asaduzzaman from the UN praised Bangladesh's leadership in advancing the GPEDC agenda.
KAM Morshed from Brac stressed the importance of developing and implementing reform proposals to improve development effectiveness.
Several grassroots NGOs criticized donors for prioritizing funding to larger organizations, often neglecting local civil society development.
Gawhar Nayeem Warha raised concerns about government agencies and district-level officials creating barriers to registration and funding clearance.
Renowned environmental and climate activist Sharif Jamil shared his experience in international negotiations, advocating for people-centered decisions.
Moderator Rezaul Karim Chowdhury highlighted several positive examples of civil society movements in Bangladesh where government policymakers were responsive to civil society input. However, he underscored the ongoing need for an open and free space for civil society to effectively raise its voice.
In conclusion, AHM Jahangir called for unity in advocating for reforms that will shape a “new Bangladesh,” urging collective efforts to create a conducive environment for civil society.
