Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia yesterday identified the excessive growth of popula tion as a national problem and called for combating it nationally. reports UNB.

She urged all irrespective of their opinions dr party affiliation to make concerted efforts to curb the rata of population growth.

The Prime Minister was inaugurating a conference of parliamentarians’ on Population and Development at the Osmany Auditorium in the city yesterday morning.

Begum Zia hoped that all members of Parliament will ac lively Involve themselves in the

Implementation of the national family planning p[ogramme in their respective locality and contribute towards motivating the people to have small families

We want to transform the family planning programme into a social movement for the greater interest of the nation." she said, seeking well-considered opinions and suggestions in this regard.

The Prime Minister said: "You (MPs) cap wield enormous Influence in motivating people to contain the population .... This has to be combated nationally." Begum Zia said.

She observed that the rapid

population growth had become a phenomenal problem for the nation, causing poverty, envl ronmentai imbalance and economic disparity The problem also widened the Inequality between men and women and had caused socio-cultural de generation, ertmethane! abuse of drugs.

"We have to consider In great details the problems arising out of the populstion explosion. There is no scope for hesitation or indecision tn this regard." Begum Zia observed.

"You are representatives of the people. You are partners in their sorrow and happiness.

From Page 1 Col 4 pleasure and pain. You have also a political commitment to upgrade their quality of life." the Prime Minister exhorted the MPs.

The pace of the development process and population control activities have to be geared up simultaneously. Begum Zia said and called upon the MPs to create awareness about the dangers of a population explosion and motivate the people to adopt small families.

She recalled that late President Ziaur Rahman had identified the population size as the number one problem of the country and formulated a national population policy for the first time

Begum Zia mentioned that the recent UN report on population acclaimed the success achieved by Bangladesh tn population related programmes.

But ahe warned against making the country's population programmes too much dependent on foreign aid. "Thia dependency can't augur well for the country in the long run. Ways have to be devised for transforming this programme into a self-reliant one." the Prime Minister said.

Begum Zia said special care will have to be taken to further . upgrade the quality of services and efficiency of field workers and stressed the need for strict imposition of accountability.

She. however, cautioned that although the rate of growth has declined there was no scope for complacency since the total population was increasing unabated "This situation Is incompatible with our cherished goal of economic progress."

The Prime Minister pointed out that the global population had already exceeded 5 5 billion and a vast majority of that huge populace live in the developing countries, thus causing hindrance to development efforts.

"While we are talking right now about the population problem, five new babies are being born each minute In the country. We have to ensure a habitable, pleasant and promising future for our children." the Prime Minister reminded.

Referring to her governments efforts to contain the population. Begum Zia said a permanent infrastructure for providing maternal and child health care services throughout the country has been estab-Hshed.

Bangladesh s present popu latlon growth rate is about 2.03 per cent, according to a Health Ministry figure. The total population of the country Is now 116 million

The inaugural function of the conference was chaired by Health and Family Welfare Minister Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf and addressed by Deputy Health Minister Sirajul Huq and DG Family Planning A K M Rafiquzzaman.