EMPOWERING RURAL POOR- GROUND REALITIES Global Perspective: Look at African continent, even after several decades of independence there is no significant improvement in poverty situation. International agencies are dumping food, medicines etc, but not the resources required for their sustainable development. The colonial rulers are replaced by their dark skinned counterparts and the loot is being continued under the cover of self rule controlled by colonial white Sahibs. It’s clear the developed world seldom give them fish to eat but not willing to teach them how to fish. Despite so much of external aid, the Bangladesh poverty more or less remains the same. It is shocking to hear from horse mouth (an international gender development consultant) that the NGOs guest houses in Bangladesh are of minimum 4 star hotel standards located in prime locations with lakefronts etc and run into 200 to 300 rooms capacity.   It is clearly evident that the international aid is bein...