"Cirdap decided to arrange country level studies to review the past policies and programmes and identify policy level issues and concerns of rural development," said Dr Durga P Paudyal, director general of Cirdap, at a roundtable.

Cirdap organised the roundtable on 'Resetting Cirdap in the new global context' at its auditorium in the city to mark its 28th founding anniversary.

Cirdap, which was established in 1979 under the aegis of Food and Agriculture Organisation, promotes regional cooperation and act as a servicing institution in the area of rural development in the Asia-Pacific region.

Dr Durga Paudyal said Cirdap can continue its role for rural development and poverty alleviation, following up the issues of agrarian reforms, food security, environmental degradation and climate change and analysing their impacts on farming communities to help countries devise strategies to cope with them.

"It can also play a role in bridging relations among the regional associations like Saarc, Asean, ECO (Economic Cooperation Organisation) and work with national and regional NGOs," he said in his keynote presentation.

Speaking as the chief guest, Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) Adviser Anwarul Iqbal said the role of Cirdap needs to be redefined in the light of developments at the national and regional level in its member countries.

Referring to the meetings of Cirdap executive committee and governing council held in Manila last month, he said the policy-making bodies decided to organise a ministerial meeting in Dhaka in 2009 to come up with specific recommendations in order to reset the centre to cope with the present challenges.

"So, it is necessary to initiate some preliminary discussion on the matter and this roundtable is a first step in that direction," Anwarul Iqbal said.

Speaking on the sideline of the roundtable, he told reporters that Philippines has made some agrarian reforms and that the Cirdap is considering if such reforms could be replicated in other countries.

"Local government bodies are the driving forces for development. Therefore, strengthening those are very important," he said, adding that no development will take place if the local bodies cannot be strengthened.

Nazrul Islam, secretary to the Rural Development Division of the LGRD ministry, said Cirdap needs to work very closely and effectively to change the fate of the one-quarter of the world's poor living in rural areas of Cirdap-member countries.

He urged the Cirdap's leadership to draw a new charter so that it could work effectively with emphasis on dissemination of knowledge about rural development.

Bangladesh Economic Association President Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said no development will be effective unless the living condition of the poor is improved.

Earlier, Adviser Anwarul Iqbal laid the foundation stone of an international conference centre with all modern facilities on the premises of Chameli House, the headquarters of Cirdap in Dhaka.

Bangladesh will provide a financial support of US$ 2.3 million for the construction of the centre, which is expected to be the venue for the proposed ministerial meeting in 2009.