There is little doubt that, over the past decade or so, Bangladesh’s growth has been extremely impressive, and the government and all relevant stakeholders deserve credit for spearheading it.
However, for Bangladesh to continue this impressive development -- particularly as it is on its way to achieving middle-income status very soon -- it is more important than ever to have actionable strategic plans in place, to ensure that this development is not stunted in any way.
To that end, the upcoming Bangladesh Development Forum (BDF) next month should serve as an apt platform, where government agencies, in addition to over 500 foreign delegates and representatives of top development agencies such as UNDP, JICA, and WB, shall come together to discuss strategies and funding to implement the eighth five-year plan of the government that begins early 2020.
Bangladesh has been impressive in its progress to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and it is imperative that this continues, and it is good to see that the five-year plan is directly linked to achieving the SDGs.
With the required financing of the proposed development projects valued at close to $2,000 billion by some estimates, the smooth implementation of these projects will only be made possible if Bangladesh’s development partners work in tandem with the authorities concerned.
Indeed, with newer threats on the horizon such as automation and the impending fourth industrial revolution, together with the changing landscape of business and development, all eyes will be on the government’s plan to address all of these issues, so that we continue our impressive growth and build a more robust economy.