Dhaka lobbies to be on US special aid package list

Dhaka, Sep 17 (IANS) Bangladesh is lobbying hard with the Bush administration to be included in the special aid package operated by the US’ Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).

Its embassy in Washington has been asked to intensify aid diplomacy to ensure that Dhaka is included at least in the threshold programme, a prelude to MCC’s compact funds.


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“We’re vigorously pursuing senior American aid officials to channel a slice of the specially-tailored assistance package,” Economic Relations Division (ERD) secretary Aminul Islam Bhuiyan said Sunday.

Although the US government launched the MCC funds in 2001 to reward countries that “rule justly, invest in people and ensure economic openness”, Bangladesh has failed to be eligible for the US aid package, due mainly to its extremely poor scores in the areas, The Financial Express published here noted.

Since taking power in January last, the interim administration has launched a nationwide anti-corruption campaign. Moves are also underway to improve political and economic governance, overhaul key institutions and improve its image among the donor nations/agencies.

Civil liberty, political rights, government effectiveness, control of corruption, fiscal and trade policies, inflation rate and the cost of starting a business are among 16 criteria for the threshold programme, according to the MCC website.

Bhuiyan, who heads the country’s aid negotiating agency, added: “Officials concerned are also engaged in discussions with their counterparts at USAID (United States Agency for International Development) in Dhaka. We’re explaining multiple government initiatives that call for Washington’s attention.”

In 1990, the US government extended assistance worth $175 million to Bangladesh, but that amount has been coming down since 2000.

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