Stand beside us

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the hardworking and resilient people of Bangladesh will be the "development miracle" in near future if they get support from her development partners.

She said her government is committed to ensuring broad-based development of the people by ensuring effective use of resources.

"In view of this, the present government is working with specific plans and programmes to realise sustainable development goals and we would be happy if the international community stands beside Bangladesh in her development pursuit.

"Our joint efforts are the key to making this beautiful world free from poverty and hunger," she added.

Hasina was addressing the inaugural session of the two-day Bangladesh Development Forum (BDF)-2015 at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital.

She told her audience that Bangladesh is now pursuing an inclusive growth strategy to become a middle-income country by 2021 and a developed one by 2041.

"We have full confidence in the international community that they would continue to support our development," she said.

The BDF, a platform of the development partners, is being held since 2005 with an aim to share strategies and priorities of the government with the development partners, civil society and private sector, and discussing how to work together to realise the plan.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith, President-designate of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Jin Liqun, Vice President of Asian Development Bank Wencai Zhang, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan Kingo Toyoda, among others, addressed the forum.

The prime minister said she sincerely believes that BDF-2015 will be able to contribute to provide joint strategies and recommendations needed for a poverty-free Bangladesh.

Pointing to the country's Vision 2021, she said it aimed at transforming Bangladesh into a middle-income country. To achieve the goal, the government has recently adopted the 7th Five Year Plan.

Referring to the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the international community, Hasina said building on the success achieved in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Bangladesh now aims to realise the SDGs.

She hoped that the BDF will reflect on how to achieve the SDGs by providing the government with prudent and effective recommendations.

Hasina stressed the need for support of the developed countries to realise the targets of the SDGs, saying the developed countries should come forward in this regard.

She also stressed that in face of climate change and other development challenges, the international community needs to revisit the current global trade system to remove the constraints.

"Trade should be considered as a means of poverty reduction and employment opportunities.

"Policies and interventions adopted by the present government proved to be effective in accelerating growth, waning budget deficit, achieving high growth in exports and ensuring foreign currency reserve at a satisfactory level," she claimed.

Hasina said Bangladesh's reliance on foreign assistance for implementing Annual Development Programme (ADP) is gradually decreasing. "However, partnership of development partners is still very crucial for Bangladesh's future prosperity," she said.

"We are of the view that regional, sub regional and bilateral cooperation in the Asia-Pacific area are essential for balanced development and ensuring a win-win situation for all," she said.

The BDF-2015 will mainly focus on goals and strategies of 7th Five Year Plan and in the meeting, Bangladesh would seek cooperation from the development partners, civil society organisations, the intelligentsia, private sector to implement the targets and programmes set out in the plan.