PM suggests critics to roam villages to witness development

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has suggested those people are making wholesale criticisms about the quick rental plants to roam the villages to witness the overall development of the country and the state of farmers, labourers and distressed people at the grassroots despite making illogical criticism residing in Dhaka.

She said unfortunately they’re not talking about the impact of giving electricity to every house or its impact on the country’s overall economy and development.

The premier on Monday (May 16) said this while speaking as the chief guest at the opening ceremony of the three-day 2nd National Conference on SDGs Implementation Reviews (SIR) held at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in the capital.

She joined the function virtually from her official Gonobhabon residence.

PM emphasised accurate and innovative action plans and effective monitoring systems with collective efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

“It is challenging to ensure the implementation of the SDGs in the stipulated time. But, still, I believe that it would be possible to reach the goal through accurate and innovative action plans, effective monitoring systems and collective efforts,” she said.

She said, “I believe that if we all work together, we could achieve SDG goals before 2030 and fulfill our Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's dream of building a hunger-poverty free and developed-prosperous Bangladesh by 2041”.

The prime minister asked the government and private sectors to work in ensuring Bangladesh’s overall development and thus achieving the SDGs, saying the government would provide all possible support to this end.

“We will continue policy support and funding for SDGs implementation, but we must ensure the best use of funds, and wastage must be prevented. At the same time, effective initiatives need to ensure that international commitments are appropriately met and implemented,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina referred to Bangladesh’s success in implementing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that has brightened the country's image in the international arena.

She said, “Our government is committed to implementing the ‘Agenda 2030’ or the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to continue the pace of development.”
 
The premier said all the ministries, departments have prepared an action plan to implement the SDGs.
 
“Considering the importance of SDG implementation, the Principal Coordinator for SDG Affairs post has been created at the Prime Minister's Office as under her leadership, a high-level 'SDG implementation and Review Committee’ was formed with the concerned secretaries,” she said.
 
In addition to the ministry-based activities for effective implementation of SDGs, she said that the Governance Innovation Unit of the Prime Minister's Office is implementing a special project for enhancing public administration skills in implementing the SDGs.
 
As the Awami League formed the government, it has taken special initiatives for the country’s overall development and ensuring fundamental rights of all people, the prime minister said.
 
Initiatives like Palli Sanchay Bank, Ashrayan Project, Digital Bangladesh, Education Assistance Programme, Women's empowerment, Electricity for all, Community Clinics and Child Development, Social Security Programmes, Environmental Protection, and Investment Development are already playing significant roles in the overall development of the country, she said.
 
As a Chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, Bangladesh has drafted the 'Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan' to achieve energy independence and set Bangladesh's trajectory to prosperity, she said.
 
“We have handed over 183 thousand 3 homes to the homeless across the country by April 2022. We have provided 640 climate refugee families with new homes in Cox's Bazar, and in total 4 thousand, 409 climate refugee families will get new homes by 2023,” she said.
 
The prime minister said Bangladesh is passing seven years on the path of achieving the SDGs.

She said that in the last two years, SDG implementation has slowed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “However, intending to achieve the goal, we are working to the best of our ability,”she said.
 
The economy is returning to increased growth with the government providing timely stimulus packages and appropriate policy support to this end, she stated.
 
The prime minister said the SDG Implementation Review (SIR) Conference 2022 is very significant as the world is now going through a critical juncture due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
 
Sheikh Hasina stressed initiatives keeping those already attained intact to achieve the SDGs within the stipulated time in the reality of the ongoing pandemic and the war that heavily hurt the world economy and livelihoods.