Daily Star Joins PRC Poverty Reduction Symposium

On April 6, 2010, Mahfuz Anam, editor and publisher of Bangladesh’s Daily Star newspaper, participated in a symposium at the International Poverty Reduction Center in China (中國國際扶貧中心), where he discussed China-Bangladesh cooperation and shared insights on his country’s development experience. The International Poverty Reduction Center was established jointly by the Chinese government, United Nations Development Programme and other international organizations in May 2005, and operates as a direct subsidiary of what was then China’s State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, now reorganized under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. During the session, moderated by Chief Technical Advisor Salehuddin Ahmed, Anam highlighted Bangladesh’s progress in areas including democracy building, economic growth, and women’s rights, while discussing China’s role in regional infrastructure and poverty reduction cooperation. Anam, who continues to serve as editor of Bangladesh’s largest English-language newspaper and previously worked for UNESCO as a media expert, emphasized what he described as China’s commitment to peaceful development and suggested increased Chinese participation in South Asian regional forums. The Daily Star, founded in 1991 during Bangladesh’s return to democracy, has gained recognition as an influential English-language publication in the country.