Bangladesh is going on at a snail's pace to meet the target of millennium development goal (MDG) set by the United Nations (UN) to halve poverty by 2015.

A report jointly prepared by the government and UN has revealed that the country is nowhere near to some of the key target indicators of the MDG.

Although the report does not indicate whether Bangladesh can reach the target or miss the deadline, the report places Bangladesh as a poor performer. In some economic and social indicators Bangladesh's status is at best moderate but in no areas the performance is good.

The report detects country's poor performance in information technology and bringing the sector to the reach of middle class people. It said 1.32 percent people in Bangladesh have access to land or mobile telephone lines, 0.34 persons have personal computer and 0.15 persons have Internet access.

According to the UN goals, Bangladesh needs to cut down the number of people earning $1 a day from 58.5 percent in 1991 to 29.4 percent by 2015. Presently 49.6 percent people are still living under $1 level.

The MDG also says Bangladesh needs to reduce the number of people living in extreme poverty from 28 percent in 1991 to 14 percent by 2015. Currently 20 percent of the total population are living in extreme poverty.

The country is well staged to increase the pace of development based on rules, non-discriminatory trading and financial system, which is a key target of the MDG.

According to the MDG, the country needs to reduce maternal mortality ratio to 14.3 which is now 32-40. Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel should be 50 percent by 2010 which is presently at 12 percent.

Proportion of mothers who are malnourished should be brought down to below 20 percent which is presently at 45 percent. Total fertility ratio needs to be reduced to 2.2 by 2010 which is now at 3.3. Proportion of maternal death caused by violence needs to lowered to zero percent which is still 14 percent.

Bangladesh, however, has done good progress in social sector.

According to the report, Bangladesh has achieved a ratio of girls and boys in primary education 49:51 percent and secondary education 53:47 percent against the target of 50:50 percent.

The country has achieved enrollment rate for primary education at 87 percent against the target of 100 percent. The report also reveals that infant mortality rate stands at 56 in each 1000 infants against the MDG target of 50 by 2015.

The report says presently 99 percent urban and 76 percent rural people have access to an improved water source against the MDG target of 100 percent and 96.5 percent respectively.

The report shows that currently 75 percent urban and 39 percent rural population have access to improved sanitation while the MDG target is 85.5 percent and 55.5 percent.