Bangladesh has met some important targets like reducing poverty gap ratio, attaining gender parity at primary and secondar levels of education, reduction in under-five mortality rate, containing HIV with antiretroviral drugs and detection and cure rate of tuberculosis (TB).
It was disclosed by the General Economics Division (GED) of the Planning Commission at the launch programme of the sixth MDG report at the NEC conference room at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar on Sunday.
Planning minister AK Khandker MP addressed the programme as the chief guest, while finance minister AMA Muhith MP, food minister Dr M Abdur Razzaque, state minister for primary and mass education Md Motahar Hossain MP and UN resident coordinator Neal Walker spoke at the programme as special guests. GED member of the Planning Commission, Prof. Shamsul Alam, made a power-point presentation on the report. Finance minister AMA Muhith said by 2030, a new world must be thought of where poverty should not exist.
In the post-2015 development agenda, Muhith said, importance should be given to history, heritage and culture which were neglected in the MDGs and that there has to be a steering committee to follow up the achievements of the targets as well as to provide recommendations for graduation process for the LDCs.
He added, “Corruption will be the major challenge to achieve all targets. We’ve to identify fragile countries…we should help them, they should not depend on aid and adopt proper economic management.”
The finance minister observed that despite the country’s achievements in development indicators, still there are problems in energy security, completion rates, standards in education, governance issues, access to technology, population pressure and degradation of environment.
Md Motahar Hossain expressed hope that by 2015, it would be possible to enroll 95 per cent students in primary terminal examinations. He also underscored the need for ensuring midday meals in all schools.
Taking part in the discussion, Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said he considers Bangladesh as a star performer in achieving MDGs as the country has done tremendously well.
UN resident coordinator Neal Walker observed that though Bangladesh has made remarkable progress towards the MDGs, but it is not the time to be complacent.
Prof. Shamsul Alam, in his presentation, said Bangladesh has made commendable progress in eradicating hunger. It has sustained a GDP growth rate in excess of 6 per cent in recent years, which has played a positive role in eradicating poverty. The inclusive growth has resulted in poverty reduction from 56.7 per cent in 1991-92 to 31.5 per cent in 2010; the rate of reduction being faster in the present decade than the earlier ones.
Bangladesh has already met one of the indicators of Target 1 by bringing down the poverty gap ratio to 6.5, against the 2015 target of 8.0. The estimated figures suggest that the MDG target of halving the population living below the poverty line has already been achieved in 2012. Unemployment, as well as underemployment, is especially dominant among young people between 15 to 24 years of age.
Bangladesh has already achieved the goal of gender equality and gender parity in primary and secondary education at the national level. This positive development has occurred due to some specific public
interventions focusing on girl students, such as stipends and exemption of tuition fees for girls in rural areas.
The country has made significant progress in promoting the objectives of ensuring gender equality and empowerment of women. There has also been a sharp increase in the number of women parliamentarians elected (20 per cent of total seats) in the last national election.
Bangladesh has already met the target of reducing under five mortality rate. Against the target of achieving 48 per 100 live births in 2015, it has already achieved 44 per 100 live birth in 2011.
Despite these improvements, there are challenges ahead. While the mortality rates have improved, major inequalities among the population still need to be addressed. Childhood injuries, especially drowning,
have emerged as a considerable public health problem responsible for a quarter of the deaths among children between 1-4 years.
According to the country’s first MDG progress report, the maternal mortality ratio in 1990 was 547 per 10000 live birth in Bangladesh. However, according to the Bangladesh maternal mortality survey (BMMS), maternal mortality declined from 322 in 2001 to 194 in 2010, a 40 per cent decline in nine years. The average rate of decline from the base year has been about 3.3 per cent per year, compared to the average annual rate of reduction of 3.3 per cent required for achieving the MDG in 2015.
According to MDG’s latest report, at present, there is only 19.4 per cent of land in Bangladesh having three cover with density of 10 per cent and above. Based on the spatial dimension, the area having three
cover is much closer to the target (20 per cent) as set by the government, but the density is much less than the target. At present, the production of terrestrial and marine areas protected is 2.3 per cent, which is much less that the target of 5.0 per cent.
The government has taken up plans to ensure universal access through harmonious development of telecommunication network and building a well-developed, strong and reliable telecommunication infrastructure for effective implementation of its ICT policy and ultimately for complementing the Vision 2021 of the government.
Cellular subscribers per 100 population are 64.6 in 2012, which was zero in 1990. The Internet user per 100 population is 20.5 in 2012, which was 0.15, 0.20 and 3.4 in 2005, 2006 and 2008, respectively.
The report demonstrates Bangladesh’s capacity for achieving the goal of poverty reduction within the target timeframe. But attaining food security and nutritional wellbeing still remains a challenge.
-With The Independent input
