PM inaugurates BEA conference tomorrow

FE Report | Published: January 07, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

The three-day biennial conference of the Bangladesh Economic Association (BEA) will begin in the city on Thursday (January 8).
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the country's largest congregation of economists at the Institution of Engineers.
President of the association Dr Abul Barakat at a press meet at the BEA office on Tuesday morning said the association will honour four renowned economists Professor Dr Mosharraf Hossain (posthumously), former Governor of the Bangladesh Bank Lutfor Rahman Sarker (posthumously), noted Indian economist Dr Ashok Mitra and Professor Nurul Islam.
He said more than one hundred papers were submitted for presentation. Out of which a good number covering almost all aspects of the economy will be presented at the conference.
BEA Secretary Dr Toufic Ahmad Choudhury was also present at the press conference along with other office-bearers.
Law Commission Chairman and former Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque will be present as the guest of honour at the inaugural session of the conference.
Dr Barakat criticised the liberal economists, saying, "They will not be able to bring real change in the development scenario of the country".
He alleged that the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are hatching conspiracy to destroy the country's state-owned commercial banks (SCBs) which are now troubled by a number of loan scams.
He urged the government not to listen to the WB and the IMF. "Indices of development may show positive signs if you listen to them but real development will not occur," he said adding the government must listen to home-grown plans and programmes and economists.
He also criticised the Bangladesh Bank for allowing an office of the IMF in the central bank premises.
Currently, the BEA has over 4,000 members including top economists in government, universities, banks, business and in other institutions.
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