Congress of Democrats from Islamic World begins today

Members of the Bangladesh delegation to the Congress of Democrats from the Islamic World pose with Deborah Healy, senior programme manager of NDI Bangladesh, in the city yesterday. From left are GM Quader, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, MM Rezaul Karim, Deborah Healy, Dr Kamal Hossain, Ziaur Rahman Khan and Mohammad Kamaruzzaman

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) and the Turkish Democracy Foundation areco-sponsoring the two-day congress for democratic political leaders from predominately Muslim countries around the globe to share successes, challenges and strategies of democratic governance.

The Bangladesh delegation included Dr Kamal Hossain, president of the Gono Forum, MM Rezaul Karim, advisor to the prime minister, Ziaur Rahman Khan MP, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on foreign affairs, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, opposition leader's political secretary, GM Quader, a Jatiya Party lawmaker, and Mohammad Kamaruzzaman, assistant secretary general of the Jamaat.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

NDI Chairperson and former US secretary of state Madeline K Albright invited Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and Opposition Leader Sheikh Hasina to the Istanbul Congress, but neither of them could attend the Congress due to their domestic political preoccupations, sources close to them said.

In a letter to Madeline Albright, Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan extended best wishes to the Congress in its promotion of democratic values. He said that the people of Bangladesh cherished a deep faith in the sustaining value and strength of democracy.

At a lunch in honour of the delegation prior to their departure, NDI's Senior Programme Manager Deborah Healy impressed upon them the need to 'fly the flag for Bangladesh' at the Congress and to focus on the positives of democratic development in the country, said a NDI press release.