Category Archives: Progress

Two years after Avijit Roy was hacked to death by suspected Islamist militants in Dhaka, relatives and friends of the Bangladeshi-American atheist blogger and writer say they are not satisfied with the pace of the police investigation.

As Bangladesh probes of Roys murder-- and those of about a dozen other secular bloggers, writers and a publisher, killed between 2013 and 2015are making no public progress, fears of threats from the Islamists has halted the publication of books critical of religions and religious fundamentalism in Bangladesh.

FILE - A Bangladeshi activist sets up a light on a poster displaying a portrait of slain Bangladeshi-American blogger Avijit Roy in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Feb. 27, 2015.

"[In the case of Roys murder] although two years have been passed by, the [government] agencies have not filed the charge-sheet to the court as yet. They postponed the date[s] of submission of the charge-sheet at least sixteen times. Eight people were arrested, but no charge-sheet was filed against any of them. Now they are saying that they have identified five men as the actual killers, but they are yet to be arrested," said Imran H. Sarker, who leads the Blogger and Online Activist Network in Bangladesh.

"We have noticed that the government is shielding the killers and is not keen to arrest them," he added.

Bangladesh police have said a local hardline Islamist militant group, the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), was behind all the killings. However, none of the murders, including that of Roy, has been solved as yet.

Baseless allegations

But Bangladeshs Inspector General of the national police (IGP), AKM Shahidul Hoque, said the charge that police are doing a poor job investigating the cases of the blogger killings, is baseless. The police will file a charge-sheet in the case of Roy "very soon," he said.

Hasanul Haq Inu, information minister of Bangladesh said all investigations into the blogger killings are going on well.

"The performance of our police is commendable in all investigations in the killings of the bloggers. We are close to resolve all cases. In the case of Avijit we have already located the killers," Inu told VOA.

"The so-called Islamist groups are not in a position to launch any violent attack at all. We have neutralized all of them."

Bangladeshi Blogger Mohiuddin Sharif, at a secret location in a south Asian country, March 1, 2017. Sharif faced death threats and ffled Bangladesh with his wife and a child in 2015. (R. Akhter Munni/VOA)

Publishing chill

Months after Roy was murdered in February 2015, Faisal Arefin Dipan, one of his publishers, was hacked to death in Dhaka.

"[The] killings of the author and his publisher triggered an atmosphere of sheer fear in the society. And, that fear has taken its toll on the publishing industry in the country," said Robin Ahsan, head Shrabon Prokashoni, a Dhaka-based publishing house, which is taking part in the ongoing national book fair in Dhaka.

A little over a decade ago, some Bangladeshi writers, who presented their arguments against Islamic and other religious beliefs online, became known as "atheist bloggers."

Blogger Mohiuddin Sharif, who faced death threats and fled Bangladesh in 2015, said new critical writings on religion, society and the state have disappeared in the past couple of years largely because the government has taken a "soft stance" against the Islamists.

"When the Islamists began targeting the bloggers, the government did not provide them the security. Instead of protecting the bloggers, it blamed them that they were indulging in provocative writing. Many were even advised to leave the country," said Sharif, who has taken refuge in a South Asian country with his family.

In the past, many books written by the secular writers used to be published during the annual Dhaka book fair, the blogger noted.

"But this year, not a single book on freethinking has been published in the fair. No stall in the fair is displaying even any old book authored by Avijit Roy this year," he said.

Mahbub Leelen, co-founder of Dhakas Shuddhashar Publishing House, which published many books authored by Avijit Roy, in New York. Leelen fled Bangladesh closing down the publishing house in Dhaka after his co-publisher escaped a fatal attack from suspect

Communication law

Along with the threats from the Islamists, Section 57 of Bangladesh's Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Act is a contributing factor to the disappearance of writing critical of religion, government and society, say the bloggers, writers and publishers.

Under this controversial piece of legislation, one can face seven to 14 years in jail for "hurting religious sentiment" and "publishing fake, obscene or defaming information in electronic form" or information that "prejudices the image of the State or person."

Mahbub Leelen, co-founder of Shuddhashar Publishing House, which published many books authored by Avijit Roy, said that using the "draconian" act the government has clamped down heavily on writers and publishers.

"The ICT Act and the related statements from the government directly support the views the fundamentalists demand in the issue. As individuals, the writers or publishers have no ability to fight this united force of the fundamentalists and the government," said Leelen, who fled to the U.S. in 2015, weeks after Ahmedur Rashid Chowdhury Tutul, his co-publisher of Shuddhashar, was violently attacked by suspected Islamists in Dhaka, told VOA.

Shuddhashar closed down in Dhaka soon after the attack and Leelen and Tutul, who lives in Norway now, are working on a project to revive the publishing house abroad, with the publication of some e-books.

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Bangladesh Criticized for Slow Progress in Blogger Murders - Voice of America (blog)

Trumps State of the Union (ish) speech tonight was his best yet, and the first Trump speech (unlike the Inaugural Address and the convention speech) that stands reasonably well even without a steep discount for well, its Trump. And he hit notes that are outside his comfort zone, barreling out of the gate with a riff against anti-Semitism and the Olathe, Kansas shooting. But there were still some cringeworthyTrumpist moments, like his rant about keeping companies from leaving America (applauded, grudgingly, by Bernie Sanders), as well as the usual applause overkill that is endemic in these speeches. And as much as I loathe the whole spectacle (in fairness, a Reagan legacy) of citizens-as-props in the gallery, Trumps ode to a disabled college student was hard to resist, and the focus on the widow of Navy SEAL Ryan Owens (killed in the raid in Yemen on Trumps watch) was maybe the most real, raw emotional moment I can recall in a presidential speech, as she was visibly struggling to hold it together on camera before a gratefulnation.

So, in an Administration that has often been its own worst enemy in communications and often as a direct result of the presidents own words Trump mostly stayed out of trouble tonight. But the message on policy was more mixed. The good news was Trumps focus on repealing and replacing Obamacareand confirming Gorsuch and his unexpectedly vivid endorsement of school choice, as well as endorsement of deregulation and energy production. The mixed news is his advocacy of more defense spending (which is needed, but probably not at the levels projected by his budget proposal). The bad news is the invocation of a trillion-dollar Trumpulus (by far the most public embrace of the trillion-dollar pricetag as a totem), the coded appeals to dtente with Putin (in the reference to new friends), andthe threats of a trade war. And the most ambiguous news, given the pre-speech leaks, is where Trump is really headed on immigration.

I wonder sometimes whether we will even still use presidential as an adjective after Trump, but tonight was about as close to genuinely presidential as were likely to see from him. The hard work ahead will be in the hands of Congress.

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The State of Trump Is a Work in Progress - National Review

New York Times

Black History Month: Pressing Forward on the Heels of Progress New York Times We go so far and we take two or three or four steps backward, because that is what progress is, she said. We've achieved so much, yet we slide back to some of the most primary, ridiculous things. But I'm not discouraged. You've got to live through it. Seeking a framework for progressHerald Palladium all 272 news articles »

Excerpt from:

Black History Month: Pressing Forward on the Heels of Progress - New York Times

A lengthy outage on Amazon.coms cloud storage service, apparently stemming from the East Coast, was causing widespread disruptions in online services Tuesday morning.

Seattle Times business reporter

Amazon.com said it is making progress as it works to restore service after a lengthy outage on its cloud storage service that wrought widespread disruption in online services Tuesday.

In an alert on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) service health dashboard, posted at 12:52 p.m., the tech giants cloud computing unit said that it was seeing recovery in the operations of the data storage service affected by the outage. Users, AWS said, should expect to start seeing improved error rates within the hour.

Earlier, AWS had said that it was working hard at repairing S3, which is how the data storage service is known, and that it believed it had spotted the root cause of the problem.

The company hasnt divulged its theory as to what caused the outage, but it has pointed to the geographic origin of the issue. On its AWS status page, Amazon identified a data center location on the U.S. East Coast that was seeing high error rates in the storage service that in turn were hampering other AWS functions. The AWS status report page showed error alerts for some of the companys email, office and computing power services operating out of servers in Northern Virginia.

Reactions to the outage quickly spread on Twitter. The Harvard Business Review said its website was temporarily down due to the AWS outage.

Trello, a tool for project management, at 11:26 a.m. reported that it was still investigating the issue with AWS. That company first posted about the issue on its status page at 9:59 a.m.

The disruption underscores Amazons central role in the smooth functioning of an increasingly internet-reliant economy. While companies once had to operate facilities with private servers, nowadays many have chosen to pay Amazon and other cloud giants to store their data and even their computing processes. Cloud providers tout their server warehouses as safe and reliable.

AWS is, by far, the largest cloud provider.

Some seattletimes.com services also utilize AWS.

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Amazon says it's making progress in fixing cloud outage causing online disruptions - The Seattle Times

Frankfurt progress in German Cup, Dortmund game called off Miami Herald Michael Hector missed the chance to head into an unguarded net for Frankfurt, 10 minutes before the break, and Frankfurt 'keeper Lukas Hradecky was by far the busier of the two after it, with his saves effectively securing his side's progress. "Of ... and more »

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Frankfurt progress in German Cup, Dortmund game called off - Miami Herald

Attorney General JeffSessions painted a grim vision of violence in America on Tuesday, telling state law enforcement officials that a recent uptick in murders threatens to undo decades of progress. He pledged to "put bad men behind bars."

In his first major policy speech as attorney general, Sessions promised that combating violent crime would be a top priority of the Justice Department. He warned of a surging heroin epidemic with drugs pouring in from Mexico, of police officers made to feel overly cautious for fear of being captured on "viral videos" and of rising homicide rates in big cities.

"We are diminished as a nation when any of our citizens fear for their life when they leave their home; or when terrified parents put their children to sleep in bathtubs to keep them safe from stray bullets; or when entire neighborhoods are at the mercy of drug dealers, gangs and other violent criminals," Sessions said, according to prepared remarks to the National Association of Attorneys General.

Sessions promised that his Justice Department would prioritize cases against violent offenders, aggressively enforce immigration laws and work to dismantle drug cartels. He announced the creation of a multi-agency task force, to be headed by the deputy attorney general, to propose crime-fighting legislation and study crime trends. He said the task force would include the heads of Justice Department agencies such as the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Although it is true, according to FBI statistics, that homicide and other violent crimes have recently been on the rise, the numbers are nowhere close to where they were in the 1980s and early 1990s, and it's hardly clear that the recent spike reflects a trend rather than an anomaly.

Sessions' early focus on drug and violent crime is a radical departure for a Justice Department that has viewed as more urgent the prevention of cyberattacks from foreign criminals, international bribery and the threat of homegrown violent extremism.

Yet Sessions made no apologies for his focus on violent crime, saying he was concerned the increase could be part of a "dangerous new trend."

"We need to enforce our laws and put men behind bars," said the former Alabama senator and federal prosecutor. "And we need to support the brave men and women of law enforcement as they work day and night to protect us."

He also indicated that, unlike his Democratic-appointed predecessors, he believes some police officers have pulled back on enforcement because of anxiety their actions could be recorded on video and scrutinized by the public.

"They're more reluctant to get out of their squad cars and do the hard but necessary work of up-close policing that builds trust and prevents violent crime," Sessions said.

FBI Director James Comey has floated the idea that the change in police behavior could help explain increases in crime, although former attorneys general Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch both refused to embrace that idea.

Past attorneys general have used their appearances before their state counterparts to make policy pronouncements.

In 2014, for instance, Holder said state attorneys general were not obligated to defend laws in their states banning same-sex marriage if the laws discriminate in a way forbidden by the Constitution.

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Sessions says murder uptick threatens progress on crime - Fox News

NEW HAVEN >> The New Haven Public School district improved slightly in the second year of the Next Generation Accountability System, a 12-indicator system devised by the states Department of Education to holistically measure student achievement and school success.

NHPS earned 64.3 percent of all points in the 2015-16 school year, an improvement of 2.3 points from the year before, when the system debuted.

Conte/West Hills Magnet School was identified as a school of distinction for its growth in achievement on the 12 indicators by high-needs students those who are eligible for free or reduced price lunch, English language learners and students in special education. Of 116 schools named schools of distinction, Conte/West was one of 15 schools in the 30 lowest-performing districts in the state to receive the title.

Together, we are reaching new heights and making significant progress in our schools. Our new accountability system is more comprehensive and holistic allowing us to identify and replicate success and target support to the students and schools that need it most. We must continue to be steadfast in our commitment to improve outcomes for all students, said Gov. Dannel P. Malloy in a statement.

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The accountability system accounted for growth for the first time by establishing individual goals for students to reach in the following year. In English, 63.3 percent of all New Haven students met their growth goals in 2015-16 from the year prior; 61.5 percent of high-needs New Haven students did the same. In math, 63.5 percent of all New Haven students met their growth goals; 62.2 percent of high-needs New Haven students did the same.

The inclusion of student growth for the first time gives us a more accurate picture of how well we are delivering on our promise to kids. As we celebrate progress being made, we also push with great urgency to accelerate the pace of change for schools that need the most help so that all students in Connecticut can rise to their potential and achieve their goals, said Education Commissioner Dianna Wentzell in a statement.

District officials, who held a yearlong Attendance Matters campaign in 2015-16, concluded that year by celebrating a six-point drop in the rate of chronic absenteeism, or students missing 10 percent or more school days. The accountability system results reflected this change: the rate of all chronically absent New Haven students from 2014-15 to 2015-16 dropped from 25.6 percent to 19.9 percent. The rate of chronically absent high-needs students declined even more sharply: from 30 percent in 2014-15 to 22.9 percent in 2015-16.

The districts work on chronic absenteeism was the most significant change in its second year in the accountability system.

The concerted efforts made at the District and School level to combat chronic absenteeism has a direct impact on student growth as the more time we have with students in school the more education services can be delivered to allow each student to reach his or her potential, said interim Superintendent of Schools Reginald Mayo in a statement.

District officials highlighted that 31 of 40 schools in the district posted overall improvements in the accountability index, with seven boasting double-digit gains.

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Accountability system shows progress in New Haven student growth - New Haven Register

By Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle

Photo: Justin Sullivan, ST

Historic Chronicle Front Page September 11, 2010 A PG&E pipeline explosion would devastate a San Bruno neighborhood

Historic Chronicle Front Page September 11, 2010 A PG&E pipeline explosion would devastate a San Bruno neighborhood

Ex-federal judge to monitor PG&Es safety progress

A former federal judge has been chosen to monitor Pacific Gas and Electric Co.s efforts at safety improvements following the utilitys felony convictions for violating pipeline safety laws and obstructing the investigation of the lethal San Bruno pipeline explosion.

Mark Filip, who also served as a high-ranking U.S. Justice Department official, was jointly named by federal prosecutors and PG&E on Monday to oversee the companys safety performance for up to five years, the period of PG&Es court-ordered probation. The sentence imposed last month by U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson required that an independent monitor be appointed by Henderson unless the opposing sides agreed on a selection.

Filip, 50, has worked as a private lawyer, representing business clients and, in the mid-1990s, as a federal prosecutor in Chicago, working on cases of health care fraud and political and judicial corruption, according to a Justice Department profile.

President George W. Bush appointed Filip to the federal court in Illinois in 2004, then named him four years later as deputy attorney general, the second-highest position in the Justice Department. When President Barack Obama took office in 2009, Filip served as acting attorney general for two weeks until the Senate confirmed Obamas nominee, Eric Holder. Filip then returned to a private law firm.

In August, the company he will monitor, Californias largest public utility, was convicted by a jury in San Francisco of five charges of failing to properly inspect and repair its aging gas pipelines. On a sixth felony count, jurors found that the company had interfered with the federal investigation of the San Bruno explosion by trying to conceal its practice of pumping gas at pressures up to 10 percent above legal limits.

Eight people were killed, 58 were injured, and 38 homes were destroyed in the September 2010 explosion and fire that started in a defective pipeline weld.

The sentence included a $3 million fine, 10,000 hours of community service by PG&E employees and public statements in newspapers and television ads acknowledging the companys guilt. The state Public Utilities Commission has fined PG&E $1.6 billion for the explosion.

The monitors task is to keep track of PG&Es safety performance and file reports to Henderson and his successors after the judge retires in August. At the sentencing hearing, Henderson said the monitor could recommend changes in PG&Es operations and, if the company objected, take the dispute to the prosecutors office and then to court.

A PG&E critic, state Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, whose district includes San Bruno, said Tuesday he was somewhat surprised by Filips selection.

He seems to have spent more time getting big companies out of messes than working to get them to clean up their messes, Hill said, referring to Filips private law practice. He also noted Filips appointments by Bush and his work as a law clerk for the late conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in 1993-94.

Hopefully he can be impartial and really protect the interests of the public, Hill said.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko

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Ex-federal judge to monitor PG&E's safety progress - SFGate

By Misuhiro Furusawa, IMF Deputy Managing director

Dhaka University, Bangladesh

February 28, 2017

I am honored by this opportunity to speak with the faculty and students of the University of Dhaka. This institution has a rich history that is closely identified with the history of this country.

I would like to start todays conversation with a brief overview of recent global economic developments, including in Asia. After that, I will offer some perspectives on the impressive economic performance of Bangladesh in recent years, and the work of the IMF in your country.

Global Outlook

In January, we released an updated forecast for the global economy. It was contained in an update World Economic Outlookour flagship publication on the global economy that is released twice a year, in April and October.

Our update projected global growth in 2016 of 3.1 percent. That was the weakest growth rate since 2009, because of a challenging first half last year that reflected difficulties in financial markets.

Among the advanced economies, activity rebounded in the United States after that weak first half. But output remained below potential in a number of other advanced economies, especially the euro area.

Among the emerging market and developing economies, we saw some signs of a rebound after a weak 2015. The growth rate in China was a bit stronger than expected. But activity was weaker than forecast in some countries, especially those that have been dealing with recessions.

Looking ahead, economic activity is expected to accelerate in 2017 and 2018. Our central projection is that global growth will rise to 3.4 percent in 2017, and 3.6 percent in 2018. This improved outlook reflects faster growth in advanced economies and in emerging and developing economies. Growth is projected to remain strongest in emerging and developing Asia.

But there is still reason for caution. We still see downside risks. Uncertainty has risen, in particular about the policies of the new U.S. administration. As these policies become clearer, we may adjust our forecast.

China is expected to remain a major driver of global economic developments in the coming year. This reflects an expectation of continued government support for the Chinese economy. But we cannot rule out the risks of a slowdown that could affect other countries. One key risk is rapid credit expansionparticularly government support for inefficient state-owned companiesand the overall accumulation of corporate debts.

Risks to the Outlook

Lets take a closer look at some of the other risks that could affect the global outlook. I would like to emphasize that these are only risks.

The first is political. I am sure you are very aware of recent developments in advanced economies that reflect discontent with globalization. If this important political trend leads to increased protectionism, there could be implications for productivity and incomes, market sentiments and economic growth.

There is also a risk from increased geopolitical tensions and terrorism. This already has affected the outlook for various countries, especially in the Middle East. Increasing refugee flows have clear implications for many countries, including in the advanced economies. It is essential to address the root causes of these problems.

In some advanced economies, there is a risk that an extended shortfall in private demand and inadequate progress on reforms could lead to permanently lower growth and lower inflation. This could also have negative implications for debt dynamics.

The issues that some emerging market economies face include high corporate debt, declining profitability, weak bank balance sheets, and thin policy buffers. If not addressed, these issues could increase the exposure of some countries in case of tighter global financial conditions

Finally, many low-income economies continue to feel the effects of low commodity prices. Some of these countries have pursued expansionary policies that have eroded fiscal reserves. They are vulnerable to further external shocks.

Again, let me emphasize that these are risks, and not foregone conclusions.

The Challenges Facing Asia

Lets take a moment to say a few more words about Asia. Since the global financial crisis in 2008, Asia has been a key engine of global growth. It has also been a source of economic stability.

The near-term outlook for the region remains strong and stable. Looking to the coming year, accommodative policies and a recent easing of financial conditions will underpin domestic demand. This should help to offset weak export growth.

As I mentioned earlier, growth in China is expected to remain strong in 2017. The projections have also been revised upward for Japan.

But the forecast for India in the current and next fiscal years has been trimmed. This is primarily due to the temporary impact of the recent currency note initiative. Growth has also been revised downward in Indonesia and Thailand.

Asia continues to face a number of longer-term challenges:

First, economic reforms will be critical to ensure that the region remains a global growth leader. These structural reforms are needed to help rebalance supply and demand, reduce vulnerabilities, and increase economic efficiency and potential growth.

Second, reforms will also be needed to foster more inclusive growth. This includes reducing income inequality, which has risen in most of Asia. This is in contrast to other regions where income inequality has been reduced.

Third is the challenge of rebalancing growth. This is especially important because demand from advanced economies is growing more slowly. Asia needs to rely more on domestic demand to fuel growth.

Finally, there is the challenge of climate change and natural disastersissues that I know are very important to this country. This will require a wide range of measurefrom investment in mitigation infrastructure to carbon taxes.

Bangladeshs Transformation

Lets turn now to Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi economy has undergone a major transformation over the past two decades. This change has been spearheaded by the rapid expansion of the garment industry, which has helped reduce poverty and raise the employment of women.

The result has been a sustained increase in per capita income. It is important to recognize that Bangladesh is making important progress toward its goal of middle-income status.

Bangladesh also stands out in terms of development indicators. Poverty has been nearly halved since 1990. Inequality remains low and stable, defying the regional trend I just described. Your country also stands out among low-income countries in terms of life expectancy, child mortality, and access to water and sanitation.

In addition, there has been good progress on financial inclusion. This includes efforts to enhance access and usage of financial services. Bangladesh compares very favorably with other developing countries across a broad range of FI indicators.

These are all impressive achievements.

The IMF-supported Extended Credit Facility Arrangement with your government was successfully completed in October 2015. It helped lay the foundations for strong policies that are helping to spur the recent strong growth. Macroeconomic stability has been preserved, and Bangladesh is now in a stronger position. This means higher reserves, lower public debt as a share of GDP, and lower underlying inflation.

Clearly, Bangladesh has done well. However, there is no reason for over-confidence. Major challenges remain that need to be addressed before your country leaps to the next stage of development.

We currently have an IMF team here in Dhaka at the moment for your countrys annual consultation with the Fund, called the Article IV consultation. At the end of their visit, the team will discuss in detail the specific challenges facing the Bangladeshi economy.

That said, allow me to lay out some of these challenges in broad terms. One is the need to increase private investment. This investment is very important if your country is to sustain the recent high levels of growth. At the same time, a significant increase in public investment is necessary to maintain competitiveness and generate further productivity growth. There also is clear scope to pursue capital market development to provide new vehicles to channel savings toward long-term investments.

Another way to achieve this needed increase in investment is to focus on raising revenues and lifting foreign direct investment. It is important that the VAT law be implemented. In addition, policies that remove red tape and simplify the trade regime should be put in place.

Structural reforms, strengthened institutions, and capacity development are all priorities if Bangladesh is going to unleash its full economic potential. The efficiency of the tax system is one priority, along with reforms to improve fiscal management and improve the business environment.

Finally, sustaining strong, medium-term growth will require a stable security situation. This is necessary to avoid adverse effects on market confidence.

The IMF and Bangladesh

The IMF can assist with these efforts. Just as we do with all of our 189 member countries, we are in a position to help Bangladesh secure financial stability and promote sustainable growth.

We offer analysis and policy advice for individual countries, as well as on regional and global trends. The IMF team currently in Dhaka is part of this ongoing effort. They are assessing economic and financial developments, and discussing economic and financial policies with your governments officials.

We also offer financial assistance through lending programs. This lending is aimed at supporting effective policies and structural reformsespecially in response to economic shocks. We provide loans to developing countries at concessional interest rates. This was the case with your countrys completed Extended Credit Facility arrangement.

Finally, an important part of our interaction with member countries is the provision of technical assistance and training. This work represents an important part of our operational budget. It is aimed at strengthening a governments capacity to design and implement effective policies. Bangladesh is one of the largest recipients of IMF technical assistancefocused on public financial management, tax policy and administration, banking supervision, and statistics.

Bangladesh is also a member of the recently established South Asia Regional Training and Technical Assistance Center in New Delhi. This center was opened earlier this month as a collaboration among the IMF, six member countries, and development partners to meet the regions demand for technical assistance and training. The other countries are Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

I would encourage the Bangladeshi authorities to use the center to continue strengthening institutional and human capacity. This can make an important contribution to the efforts to design and implement economic and financial policies that promote growth and reduce poverty.

I can assure you that the IMF will continue to work closely with Bangladesh to support policies aimed at achieving these goals. Our Resident RepresentativeStella Kaenderawho is based here in Dhaka, is in daily contact with your governments officials. I assure you that the Fund will be here to provide assistance, analysis, and advice. Together, we can work to build a strong economy and a brighter future for Bangladesh.

Once again, thank you very much for your hospitality. We at the IMF strongly support the adventure of learning. So, as a measure of our respect for your university, I am announcing today that we will make a book donation to your university in the near future.

I wish the students and faculty of this great university every success in the future.

I now look forward to hearing from all of you.

PRESS OFFICER: Keiko Utsunomiya

Phone:+1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

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Building Economic Progress in Bangladesh - International Monetary Fund

Josephine is 11 years old, and opened our conference last year. I wrote this text for her, and then we fine-tuned it together so it would feel natural for her to speak the words in front of an audience of 5,000 people.

We wanted to make sure people understood that working in digital tech is not about just making a quick buck, but that with every small improvement you are making the world a better place.

It was an absolute joy to work withJosephine. She understood what we meant, wasnt shy, and knew the text by heart. She understood that her message was meant to give people goosebumps and get them ready to make the best of our event.

Heresthe full text of her talk:

My name is Josephine, and Im 11 years old. But it would be a mistake to see me as an 11 year old. Because what you are looking at is the future. Im the future.Im going to be your customer, your critic, your opponent, your competitor.

Ill be your enemy, your biggest fan and the person paying your bills.

Im the one that will help you out when youre in trouble and Im the one who will suffer from the worlds problems, or I will fix them.

Today is the first day of this conference, and Im the opening act. Over the next three days you will learn a lot.

You might do a deal, meet a potential partner, and advance your business in a small or big way. And that will be progress. But it wont just be ordinary progress. It will be essential and monumental progress.

At The Next Web we believe that technology is essential for the future of mankind and it is making the world a better place.

I cant solve all the worlds problems in one go. But together we can increase our knowledge, improve technology and take another step towards a better future.

Thats the way to solve the worlds problems, by improving every aspect of it.That is the mindset I want you to have.

You are not just here to be inspired. You are not just here to do business.The work you do is going to make the world a better place.You are not doing this for yourself or for me. You are doing it for a future me, and for your future self.

My name is Josephine, Im 11 years old and on behalf of The Next Web, and my future self, I hope you have a great conference.

I hope you will join me and Josephine again this year and makeessential and monumental progress. See you soon.

Read next: The new Raspberry Pi Zero W computer brings Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for just $10

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Watch an 11-year-old explain why you're making monumental progress - TNW