Bangladesh to work with any country to attain SDGs
Planning Minister MA Mannan yesterday said Bangladesh was ready to work with India and other countries in achieving the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“We can learn from them and they can also learn from us and together with the synergy that would be achieved by working together would also be something of critical importance,” he said.
The planning minister was addressing an Indian event titled “Assuming a leadership role in SDG’s and developing a unique monitoring framework” on the sidelines of the 75th Annual Session of UN ESCAP in Bangkok, according to a message received yesterday.
Indian Ambassador to Bangkok Suchitra Durai, Legislative Reform and Parliamentary Affairs Minister of Timor Leste Fidelis Manuel Leite Magalhaes and UN ESCAP Executive Secretary Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana were present among others.
Mannan said there were some common areas and similarities with India especially in case of attaining the SDGs.
Noting that there is hardly any barrier between Bangladesh and India, he said, “With the modern leadership in India and Bangladesh, we think we can work together hand in hand seeing that people here and there move together towards prosperity.”
“Our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, since she assumed office in 2009, made some good approaches to our relations with India,” he said.
Terming attainment of the SDGs as a global compact as well as an important task, Mannan said all countries concerned need to work together to attain the SDGs.
“India and Bangladesh bilaterally and in many other multilateral ways are cooperating and helping each other seeing that both succeed for a mutual benefit,” he added.
Mentioning that India has so far made tremendous improvements in SDGs, the planning minister said Bangladesh has also made big strides in various fields like in ensuring clean water and sanitation.
He said in terms of fighting poverty, Bangladesh has done very well over the last few years while the government has set up some 16,000 community clinics across the country where rural people were getting necessary healthcare services.
As a result, the planning minister said, the life expectancy in Bangladesh has increased to 72.5 years thanks to the primary healthcare services and better water and sanitation facilities.
Regarding the fight against hunger, he said citizens were being fed with the internal production of cereals and crops.
“We’re now self-sufficient in food…for the first time in our history we’re producing enough to feed all of our people. That has also contributed to meet the goals of eliminating hunger,” Mannan added.
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