Inequality rising acutely

Inequality is increasing acutely in Bangladesh although the economy is growing at a respectable rate, said Mohammed Farashuddin, a former governor of the Bangladesh Bank.

“Equitable prosperity is a major challenge,” he said while addressing a symposium organised by the United Nations Association of Bangladesh (UNAB) at Cirdap auditorium in Dhaka yesterday.

The symposium was organised on the eve of the 73rd anniversary of the United Nations. 

It is said that when Gini coefficient, a measure of inequality, is above 0.5 a country remains in the danger zone owing to risks of social unrest.

Now, the Gini coefficient is 0.48, which is a severe challenge for the sustainable development goals, Farashuddin said.

Although the literacy rate is increasing, there are questions about the quality of education, particularly at the secondary and tertiary level.

“The general education system will not reduce the unemployment rate,” he said, adding that some six lakh educated workforce remain unemployed every year.

The digital gap should be reduced to attain the SDGs, said Nahida Sobhan, director general of the UN wing of the foreign affairs ministry.

She, however, is hopeful of achieving the SDGs like the Millennium Development Goals previously.

Justice Ebadul Hoque, president of UNAB, and Haradon Ganguli, secretary general, also spoke at the programme.