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Blanket immunity to WB to be challenged

STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Alliance Against World Bank Immunity, a civil society movement, will go to the court to challenge the blanket immunity likely to be given to the World Bank (WB) at the next parliament session.
The alliance has chalked out several programmes to protest the immunity likely to be given by The International Financial Organisations (Amendment) Act, 2004 at the parliament session beginning on May 12.
The programmes include rallies and discussions across the country, road march and submission of a memorandum to the speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad.
"The immunity goes directly against our constitution and the basic human rights. That's why we're going to challenge it," said Md Aminur Rasul Babul, national coordinator of the alliance.
He was briefing a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity in the city yesterday.
Enforcement of the Act will bar the government or individuals from taking legal shelter, even if the activities of the WB or its subsidiaries are proved harmful, he said.
A certain quarter is deliberately spreading misleading information on the issue that individuals will be able to sue the WB, Babul noted.
"We want to challenge the propaganda. The immunity is going to be just like those the UN bodies enjoy in different countries."
The alliance also demanded that the government make public the draft law, Article of Agreement, according to which the WB is working in Bangladesh, and opinions that the law ministers and the attorneys general have given on theissue since 2001.
Its leaders consider the immunity to the WB a means to oppress the poor countries.
"We don't want Bangladesh to be an example for the World Bank so that it can exert pressure on other countries on the same issue," said alliance member Ahmed Swapan in his written statement.
"In the name of poverty alleviation, the Bank is in fact helping a few of the rich and its consultants here. Their aim is to increase their income in the poor countries through various projects and loan programmes," Swapan said.
He added that the countries on the other hand are falling in a trap of debt.
"We firmly believe (we) don't need loan from the World Bank, IMF (International Monetary Fund) or ADB (Asian Development Bank) for development of the poor," he said.
The WB speaks of transparency and accountability, which has now become a farce as it asks for blanket immunity, he added.
The alliance urged the government not to give immunity to the WB and uphold the constitution and civil rights. It also suggested reviewing the immunity given to the ADB.
As many as 59 non-government, civil society and workers' organisations have expressed solidarity with the alliance against the WB immunity.
Alliance members Sharif A Kafi, Zakir Hossain, Shahadat Hossain Mintoo, Md Zakaria, Abul Hossain, AHM Bazlur Rahman, Selina Mallick Lipi, Arup Rahi, among others, addressed the conference.