Dhaka – A two-day Bangladesh Development Forum (BDF)-2015 began in the capital on Sunday with the government drawing attention of the development partners to its core development agenda, highlighting the economic achievements, macroeconomic indicators and the climate for investment, trade and employment.
On the opening day of the BDF-2015, the government also focused on underlining the priorities, challenges and possible actions to achieve the Vision 2021 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the two-day BDF meeting at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC).After the inauguration, a thematic session on “Macro-Economic Management: A Journey from Lower to Higher Middle Income Country through an Inclusive Growth Strategy ensuring SDGs” was held with Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith in the chair. The session focused on setting development strategies in line with the 7th Five-year Plan.
Muhith said the major challenges to the economic development of Bangladesh are poverty and underdeveloped physical infrastructure.
He also said a national policy on development cooperation is being prepared to guide development cooperation in Bangladesh from strategic perspective.
In the keynote paper, GED Member Dr Shamsul Alam said developing countries, like Bangladesh require forging strong effective global partnership for implementing its development goals towards achieving sustainable growth.
Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Dr Atiur Rahman, Senior Finance Secretary Mahbub Ahmed, World Bank Chief Economist for South Asia Martin Rama and UN Resident Coordinator Robert Watkins took part in the session.
Three separate working sessions were also held on the day. The sessions covered issues including agriculture, food security, climate change, strengthening the economic foundation and strategies for development of infrastructure and governance and development strengthening partnership for effective development cooperation.
At the first working session, issue of food security especially availability of food, access to food and effective utilization of food change was discussed. Besides, the panelists emphasised on the adaptation measures for the vulnerable in society, including the rural poor and landless people, as climate change hits directly to this group.
Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury chaired the session where food secretary Mushfeka Ikfat, forest secretary Dr Kamal Uddin Ahmed, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) representative Dr Kundhavi Kadiresan and Palli Karma Shohayok Foundation (PKSF) |Chairman Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad took part as panelists.
The second session was dedicated to the Strengthening the economic foundation: Strategies for development of infrastructure. At the session, some infrastructural related issues especially power and energy, roads, railway, water transport and regional connectivity and ICT were discussed to way out for boosting economic growth.
With Planning Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal in the chair, Principal Secretary to the PMO Abul Kalam Azad, JICA DG for South Asia Toru ARAI, ADB Director for South Asia Anthony Jude and Professor Jamilur Raza Choudhury attended as panelists.
Addressing the session, the planning minister listed the government’s initiatives and achievements of the government in developing psychical infrastructure.
He emphasised on addressing the traffic congestion of the capital city, saying that the city would not get an effective traffic system without constructing underground railways.
The day’s last session was the “Governance and development: strengthening partnership for effective development cooperation” where Senior Secretary of Economic Relations Divisions Mohammad Mejbahuddin presented the keynote paper.
Chaired by the PM’s Economic Adviser Dr Mashiur Rahman, foreign secretary Shahidul Haque, additional secretary of cabinet division Mahiuddin Khan, head of EU delegation Pierre Mayaudon, Centre for Policy Dialogue Executive Director Professor Mustafizur Rahman and Professor Syed Munir Khasru of IBA, DU took part as panelists. – Agencies
