The seminar styled 'The World Bank in Bangladesh' was organised jointly by the bank and Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) at the chamber auditorium.

Criticising the World Bank's loan system, CCCI President Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed urged the bank to offer soft lending.

The World Bank seems to have no hesitation to offer loan and grant to development projects, but the terms and conditions are stringent, said the chamber leader.

He was critical of the 'dictating attitude' of the World Bank while disbursing funds to certain development projects. "Besides, there is a general feeling that the bank eats up half of the fund it gives to Bangladesh in the name of consultation or interest against the loans," he said.

The CCCI president however praised the World Bank's active assistance in attaining Millennium Development Goal (MDG) in Bangladesh by 2015.

Dr Jyoti Prakash Datta, professor of economics at Chittagong University, suggested a World Bank project to train up politicians of the country.

"Our political leaders don't know the politics in true sense. They often tend to interfere in all activities and policy-making decisions. So, there should be a project to train them up properly," he observed.

Presenting the bank's wide array of operations in Bangladesh, World Bank's Senior Communications Officer Subrata S Dhar said there is a misconception about the bank.

"The World Bank now is much different than it was some 10 years ago and the bank is much more open and transparent to the general public," he said.

He said the bank does have some constraints to get involved in all the development activities of the country.