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US ENVOY ON MILLENNIUM FUNDS

Dhaka has to take steps to qualify

Staff Correspondent
Bangladesh has to take certain measures to qualify for development assistance from the United States' Millennium Challenge Account (MCA),a special aid programme for developing countries, US Ambassador in Dhaka Harry K Thomas said yesterday.
"Bangladesh has to take steps to address certain recommendations
that we have made," Thomas said responding to reporters' queries after inaugurating an internet learning centre (ILC) at Rani Bilashmoni Government Boys' High School in Gazipur.
"We are having discussions at private level with the Bangladesh government as to what does it require to qualify for the MCA funding assistance," he added. The US envoy, however, declined to say what were the recommendations that the US administration has made for Bangladesh's inclusion into the MCA funding.
Asked whether he agrees with the US Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca that Bangladesh has to be competitive taking effective measures to combat corruption to be eligible for MCA funding, Harry said, "I cannot disagree with my boss."
Rocca made the comments on May 12 during her visit to Dhaka.
President George W Bush in 2003 started the MCA assistance programme with an initial fund of $ 500 crore to offer financial aid in addition to usual US aid to the developing countries that rule justly, invest in their people, and encourage economic freedom.
The programme's main objective is to link greater contributions from developed nations to greater responsibility from developing nations.
While launching the MCA funding, the Bush administration promised to increase the US' core development assistance by 50 percent in next three years.
If included in the MCA, the US development aid to Bangladesh is likely to double in a year.
The US Congress has allocated $ 100 million as regular development assistance for Bangladesh this year to be channelled through the US AID.
INAUGURATION OF ILC
Rani Bilashmoni Government Boys' High School is one of the six schools where the Relief International, a US based NGO, has established internet learning centres (ILC) with a grant from the US State Department.
There has always been a digital divide between the least developed countries and the prosperous ones, said the US ambassador, adding that such centres will facilitate access to world-wide information on education and other fields, and thereby help narrow the divide.
"I respect schools, I respect Bangladesh and I respect Islam," Harry said while inaugurating the ILC.
He said it is not true that the US does not respect Islam, though some people think otherwise.
Country Director of the Relief International-School Online, Dr Jack Welch said that it has cost $18,000 to install the ILC, and that the Relief International will bear the maintenance and operational expenses of the centre for the next 18 months.
District Education Officer of Gazipur Md Khabir Uddin and local educationist Nurul Islam among others spoke at the inauguration ceremony chaired by Additional District Commissioner of Gazipur Md Ataur Rahman.