A two-day special conference on Delta Plan 2100 is scheduled to start from Friday to inform the people about the long-term strategy and identify its strength and weaknesses.
Experts from home and abroad, with representatives of areas covered under the plan will take part in 'Delta Plan 2100 and sustainable development of Bangladesh'. It will be hosted jointly by Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA) and Bangladesh Environment Network (BEN).
The conference will take place from January 11-12 at Krishibid Institution Auditorium in city's Khamarbari and is free for all. Announcement about the event was made at a media briefing at the Jatiya Press Club on Wednesday.
At the press conference, speakers stressed the need for collective national discussion on Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100, a plan to formulate holistic strategy of country's natural resources.
"It is a must for the government to share such development project planning with the public to maintain transparency," said BAPA President Professor Abdullah Abu Sayeed, reports UNB.
He said civil society should urge the government for dialogues over the issues, adding: "The purpose of the special conference is to put up similar constructive discussion among all the stakeholders of the BDP 2100."
BEN Co-Chairman and BAPA Vice-President Professor Dr Nazrul Islam lauded the government's seriousness about the plan while expressing concern about proper executions of the projects under the plan.
"The plan proposal set to expend 2.5 percent of country's GDP every year which will reach the 30-billion mark by 2030," he said.
Nazrul said the plan must involve the citizens and decisions should be made with public approval.
BAPA General Secretary Dr Md Abdul Matin stressed coordination between sustainable development and Delta Plan 2100.
He also said the conference would be split in separate sessions for experts and non-experts. Eighty-nine papers will be read out and discussed in the experts' session.
BAPA Joint Secretary Sharif Jamil said, "We want development but also want to ensure that it is sustainable for the country and prosperous for public."
