'Adopt strategies to combat both rural, urban poverty'

Addressing the conference, Dr Ashraf Uddin Chowdhury of Dhaka University said as urban poverty is an 'extended version' of rural poverty, it cannot be effectively addressed through uni-dimensional policy of the government.

Attributing non-decentralised urbanisation to a high level of rural poverty, he underscored the need for adopting integrated strategies to combat rural and urban poverty simultaneously.

Adequate employment generation in the agriculture and non-farm sector in the rural areas through launching multistage development projects can effectively address poverty in the rural areas and reduce the number of urban poor, he said.

Regarding the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2006-2007, he said the budget does not contain clear guidelines for urban poverty alleviation.

CUP Chairperson Gulshan Ara Chowdhury, Vice Chairperson Advocate Mohammad Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Treasurer Shaheen Akhter Chowdhury also spoke on the occasion.