Equitybd recommended some structural changes for Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) and also some climate change issues for the government to work on in the upcoming 15 th Saarc Summit

Members of Equitybd (Equity and Justice Working Group) said the recently held Saarc ministerial meeting on climate change would not be effective due to the structural weakness of the regional forum.

They said this at a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity auditorium in the city yesterday.

Equitybd, a forum of grassroots level NGOs, works for advocacy in national and international issues related with national interest.

The forum identified nonparticipation of the civil society in • any kind of Saarc meetings and dealings and ineligibility of issues as subject matters due to its structural weakness.

While presenting a keynote paper, Equitybd Convener Rezaul Karim Chowdhury said Saarc members should discuss on how they can address the food crisis by their surplus food in this region so that no member country of this organisation can take the opportunity of food crisis of another coun-try-

The forum members said the developed members of Saarc are creating different environmental problems by their industrial development So. these countries should provide relaxed immigration facility for the people of the least devel-

oped countries (LDCs), compensation for environmental debt and turn Saarc development fund into Saarc Development Bank.

Bangladesh should hold its stance against 'climate fund' of World Bank, because such kind of fund will be harmful for the country's economy and Saarc members should go for critical engagement with the international financial institutions instead of going for loyal engagement.

Interest of the LDCs should be given priority by the Saarc members while dealing with the groups of developed countries.

Equitybd members Mostofa Kamal Akand, AHM Bazlur Rahman, Shahadat Islam Chowdhury and Sharmin Islam also addressed the press conference.