Despite challenges, Bangladesh has been able to attain desired goals in few indicators of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including reduction of poverty rate and intensity, gender parity in primary and secondary education, controlling HIV and tuberculosis etc before the timeframe.
Besides, the country has made significant progress in several indicators such as poverty reduction, children enrollment in primary education, weight deficiency of children, death rate of mothers, expansion of child vaccination and reduction of contagious disease.
The achievement of the country has been reflected in a progress report, prepared by the General Economic Division (GED) of Planning Commission, which would be published tomorrow.
Talking to BSS, Prof. Shamsul Alam, GED Member, said Bangladesh is the most advanced country in achieving MDGs and its achievement is more compared to any other countries. “No country will attain all the goals before Bangladesh.”
The report said Bangladesh needs US$ 78.2 billion to achieve all the indicators of MDGs (2011-15). The country requires US$ 5 billion and US$ 3 billion foreign assistances to attain general growth and higher growth annually.
Analyzing the “MDGs: Bangladesh Progress Report- 2013” found that the country has received US$ 1.68 billion Official Development Assistance (ODA), which was very nominal against the required US$ 3 billion assistance annually for attaining the higher growth.
In fiscal 2012-13, Bangladesh has been given a total of 48.24 per cent ODA, which proved that internal resources of the country have driven the achievement of MDGs.
Apart from the significant achievements, some desired goals are not possible to attain by 2015. Not only Bangladesh, also all the countries would fail to achieve the indicators and those are:
Providing employment to all eligible workforce, ensuring zero per cent drop out before completing class five, cent percent literacy rate between 15-24 age, improve the literacy rate to cent per cent of age 15 and above, women participation rate to 50 per cent in non- agriculture sector and increase forest area to 20 per cent with 70 per cent tree density.
Bangladesh will advocate including those goals in the Post MDGs agenda.
On the other hand, the report said the country should put more concentration to few sectors. They are: reduction of huger related poverty and increase employment, increase of the rate of conclusion of primary education and adult literacy, creation of more qualified employment opportunities for women, attendance of educated health worker during childbirth, awareness and available information about HIV/AIDS, expansion of forest and information and communication technology.
