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DHAKA, Sept 3, 2024 (BSS) - The Committee on the preparation for "White Paper
on the State of Bangladesh Economy" would look into the loan agreements
signed over the years especially the loan agreements signed in the energy
sector.

"If the agreements on foreign loans that were signed over the years are
available, then we will evaluate those. We will definitely look in to those.
Especially, we have thought of looking in to the agreements on energy
sector," Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya told reporters emerging from the second
meeting of the Committee that was held at the Planning Commission this
afternoon.

Dr Bhattacharya, Distinguished Fellow at Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) and
Convener of the Citizen's Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh, said that in the
meeting they have chosen specifically the issues which will get priority.

"We have identified those matters accordingly. Allocation of work has also
been distributed among the members of the committee. At the same time we have
also decided the method of preparing this report," he said.

They also mentioned that the Committee will look after the available data for
formulating the report, on the other hand, they will consider those data and
information in a cynical manner.

"We will also scrutinize the credibility of those available data as well as
compare those with international standards," he added.

The chair of the Committee said that the available researches in these fields
will also be considered while preparing their report. "We will also evaluate
those and thus try to move forward."

The eminent economist of the country mentioned that the biggest matter is
that they will discuss the matters with various stakeholders and experts in
sociology, economy and political science both at home and abroad to take
their opinions.

"We have taken decision to move forward our works within the next two
months," he said.

Dr Debapriya also mentioned that the topics of the discussions will feature
general economy, macro economy as well as sectoral issues like heath,
education and energy.

 "Banking, resource mobilisation, revenue collection, smuggled money, mega
projects, poverty alleviation and disparity will also be there in their
focus," he said.

Dr Debapriya stated that they have planned the preliminary works and within
next three days they will get the initial outlines of their works. "The main
thing is that the committee has already started its works," he added.

The government has formed the committee for the preparation of a
comprehensive "White Paper on the State of Bangladesh Economy" with Dr
Debapriya Bhattacharya in the chair.

Other members of the committee are- Professor AK Enamul Haque, Dean of
Faculty of Business and Economics, East West University, Ferdaus Ara Begum,
Chief Executive Officer, Business Initiative Leading Development (BUILD),
Imran Matin, Executive Director 0f BRAC Institute of Governance and
Development (BIGD), BRAC University, Dr Kazi Iqbal, Senior Research Fellow of
Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), Dr M Tamim, Professor of
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and former Special
Assistant to the Chief Advisor (2008), Dr Mohammad Abu Eusuf, Professor of
Department of Development Studies, University of Dhaka, Professor Mustafizur
Rahman, Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Dr Selim
Raihan, Professor of Department of Economics, University of Dhaka, and
Executive Director, South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM), Dr
Sharmind Neelormi, Professor, Department of Economics, Jahangirnagar
University, Dr Zahid Hossain, former lead economist, World Bank and eminent
columnist attended the meeting while Dr Tasneem Arefa Siddiqui, former
professor, Department of Political Science, University of Dhaka, and founding
chair, Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU).