PHA-Exchange> Blanket immunity to WB to be challenged

[Syed Mahbubul Alam]

Blanket immunity to WB to be challenged
Staff Correspondent [ The Daily Star, 7 May 2005, Dhaka, Bangladesh]

Alliance Against World Bank Immunity, a civil society movement, will go to 
the court to challenge the blanket immunity likely to be given to the World 
Bank (WB) at the next parliament session.
The alliance has chalked out several programmes to protest the immunity 
likely to be given by The International Financial Organisations (Amendment) 
Act, 2004 at the parliament session beginning on May 12.
The programmes include rallies and discussions across the country, road 
march and submission of a memorandum to the speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad.
"The immunity goes directly against our constitution and the basic human 
rights. That's why we're going to challenge it," said Md Aminur Rasul 
Babul, national coordinator of the alliance.
He was briefing a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity in the 
city yesterday.
Enforcement of the Act will bar the government or individuals from taking 
legal shelter, even if the activities of the WB or its subsidiaries are 
proved harmful, he said.
A certain quarter is deliberately spreading misleading information on the 
issue that individuals will be able to sue the WB, Babul noted.
"We want to challenge the propaganda. The immunity is going to be just like 
those the UN bodies enjoy in different countries."
The alliance also demanded that the government make public the draft law, 
Article of Agreement, according to which the WB is working in Bangladesh, 
and opinions that the law ministers and the attorneys general have given on 
the issue since 2001.
Its leaders consider the immunity to the WB a means to oppress the poor 
countries.
"We don't want Bangladesh to be an example for the World Bank so that it 
can exert pressure on other countries on the same issue," said alliance 
member Ahmed Swapan in his written statement.
"In the name of poverty alleviation, the Bank is in fact helping a few of 
the rich and its consultants here. Their aim is to increase their income in 
the poor countries through various projects and loan programmes," Swapan said.
He added that the countries on the other hand are falling in a trap of debt.
"We firmly believe (we) don't need loan from the World Bank, IMF 
(International Monetary Fund) or ADB (Asian Development Bank) for 
development of the poor," he said.
The WB speaks of transparency and accountability, which has now become a 
farce as it asks for blanket immunity, he added.
The alliance urged the government not to give immunity to the WB and uphold 
the constitution and civil rights. It also suggested reviewing the immunity 
given to the ADB.
As many as 59 non-government, civil society and workers' organisations have 
expressed solidarity with the alliance against the WB immunity.
Alliance members Sharif A Kafi, Zakir Hossain, Shahadat Hossain Mintoo, Md 
Zakaria, Abul Hossain, AHM Bazlur Rahman, Selina Mallick Lipi, Arup Rahi, 
among others, addressed the conference.
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