NGO representatives at a meeting on "Campaign for Waive of Foreign Debt" yesterday demanded relief from lhe burden of foreign debt of all the third world countries including Bangladesh, reports BSS.

"Every' citizen of Bangladesh including a new born baby is carrying the burden of foreign debt of around Tk. 8.000 each which must be waived for further growth of the country." they' said at a meeting organised by Mualik Chahida Kar-masuchi (Mouchak) at Engineers Institution auditorium.

Senior Researcher of Bangladesh Center for Advance Studies (BCAS) Shajahan Bhuiyan presented the keynote paper on "Unsustainable Foreign Debt: Need for Cancellation".

Noted economist Dr. Atiur Rahman, representative of Christian Aidyof UK Andrew Pendleton, representative of Jubilee 2000 of UK Craig Smallbonne and poet Sainudra Gupta took part In the discussion on the paper.

An NGO activist Ataur Rahman presided over the first session.

Dr. Atiur Rahman urged the government to formulate a debt policy in the budget to ensure accountability of foreign debt and its expenditure. Donors must frame development policy In the light of the needs of the respective country, he added.

Only 15 per cent privileged people are taking share of the iiuge foreign debt and the rest 85 per cent people are developing themselves without aid assistance. he said and urged policy makers to reduce the burgeoning income Imbalance leading the country to an explosive situation.

Dr. Atiur emphasised the need for ecological vision for framing the development policy. Now progress of a country depends on fulfilling various aspects,.of development, he observed.