The Char Alliance, a platform of the NGOs, yesterday requested the government to create a fund to improve the living condition of 'char' (shoal) dwellers in the next budget.

Chairman of the alliance Atiur Rahman at a press conference in Dhaka said if the government does not have any special financial supports for the 'char' people, the millennium development goals (MDGs) will not be achieved as more than 5 million people live in 'char' areas in riverine Bangladesh.

Requesting the government to set up 'Char Development Fund', Atiur also said most of the 'char' areas across the country are affected by 'monga' or near famine situation, as people there do not have any work for most of the time of a year.

Earlier, the Char Alliance placed a set of proposals to Finance Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam for the upcoming budget.