At a press briefing in Dhaka yesterday, a platform of 15 local and international NGOs placed the proposals aiming to uphold trade interest of poor countries.

The proposals came when a ministerial conference of least developed countries (LDCs) began in Dhaka yesterday.

They called upon the developing countries and LDCs to reject patents of life forms.

ActionAid-Bangladesh, Consumers International and South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE) led the platform of the NGOs.

The proposals included a framework agreement on differentiated rights and obligations, non-reciprocal preferences in terms of tariff and quota-free access for all LDC exports with flexible rules of origin

They, in the proposals, also demanded free movement of natural persons.

They demanded access to affordable medicines for all and voiced against any patenting of life

LDC's policy flexibility in agriculture for food security should be kept in provision, the proposals said.

The NGOs called for debt cancellation of LDCs and greater coherence in global economic policy making.

They demanded investigation into WTO barriers to technology transfer.

S Sothi Rachagan, regional director of Consumers International, Asia Pacific Office, Ratnakar Adhikari, executive director of South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), M Anwar Hashim, president of Centre for Sustainable Development, Nasreen Huq, country director of ActionAid Bangladesh, spoke at the press briefing.