Emphasise voices of the poor: Gowher Rizvi

The voices of those at the bottom of the wealth pyramid should be emphasised during the preparation of the National Governance Assessment Framework, Prime Minister's International Affairs Advisor Gowher Rizvi said yesterday.

He was speaking as chief guest at Dhaka Division consultation programme on National Governance Assessment Framework (NGAF).

The Governance Innovation Unit of the Prime Minister's Office and the United Nations Development Programme, in collaboration with Centre on Budget and Policy, Dhaka University organised the programme at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.

The NGAF is a country-contextualised governance assessment framework that aims to assist in creating an inclusive and peaceful society with access to justice for all alongside effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

"In our society we need to create a system for institutions and laws so that every citizen has equal access and opportunity," Prof Gowher Rizvi said.

UNDP Bangladesh National Consultant Radwan Mujib Siddiq; Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Dr Ahmad Kaikaus; Resident Representative of UNDP Sudipto Mukerjee and Development Studies Professor at DU Kazi Maruful Islam also spoke at the opening session.