UNB, Dhaka :
Speakers at a function in the city on Wednesday stressed optimum implementation of the country’s social safety net
programmes for better outcome in social protection through focusing on the elimination of extreme poverty and hunger.
They also noted that Bangladesh has done tremendously well in poverty alleviation over the last few years, but still there are pockets which need to be addressed since Bangladesh is eying to becoming a middle-income country by 2021.
The speakers made the observations at the launching ceremony of a book, titled ‘Social Protection in Bangladesh; Building Effective Social Safety Nets and Ladders out of Poverty’, held at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.
The function was organised jointly by the UNDP, University Press Limited (UPL), Power and Participation Research Center (PPRC), and Brooks World Poverty Institute (BWPI), and University of Manchester.
The book was launched jointly by Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, UN Resident Coordinator Neal Walker, UNDP Country Director Pauline Tamesis, PKSF chairman Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, Adviser to the Executive
Director of Brac Dr Mahabub Hossain and BIDS Research Director Dr
Binayak Sen.
The book was edited by Executive Chairman of Power and Participation Research Center (PPRC) Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, Prof David Hulme, Mathilde Maitrot and Luigi Peter Ragno of University of Manchester.
The book provides a timely overview of international lessons, national experiences and reform opportunities as Bangladesh is engaged in the formulation of a National Social Protection Strategy (NSPS).
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said Bangladesh has done tremendously well in poverty alleviation over the years, but still there are pockets which need to be addressed.
He also emphasized giving due attention on eradicating extreme poverty, creating more scope for employment generation, health, education, skill development and creating awareness among people about the climate change impacts since work is on to prepare the Post 2015 development Agenda after the MDGs expire in 2015.
Adviser to the Executive Director of Brac Dr Mahabub Hossain said the issue of implementation of the various social safety net programmes is very important to ensure effectiveness of those.
“The urgent need would be on how to eliminate extreme poverty and hunger,” he added.
BIDS Research Director Dr Binayak Sen said: “The goal of the country should be transition into a middle-income one by 2021 with zero extreme poverty,”
To have a better social protection in Bangladesh, he said that resources should not be considered as constraints as some additional financing could be raised through redistribution of taxes in the form of property taxes, addressing first the extreme child and maternal malnutrition, strengthening the monitoring and evaluation of the social safety net programmes, replicating some successful NGO donor supported projects in national scale.
The noted economist also underscored the need for making much more functional the upazila parishads alongside the union parishads so that the country’s huge population could benefit properly through social protection by implementation of various social safety net programmes.
Speaking as the chief guest, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said some 17 percent people are now living below extreme poverty in the country and expressed his firm resolve that Bangladesh would be free from hunger by 2030. “This is our target and goal and we’ll definitely fulfill this target,”
About the success in poverty reduction, he noted that the position of Bangladesh is much better compared to China and India.
