Of the 49 least developed countries (LDC), Bangladesh and Cambodia were the best performers in the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) index, Distinguished Fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Debapriya Bhattacharya, told a discussion on Saturday.
The dialogue on “Delivery of the MDGs in LDCs and Reflections on Post-2015 Issues” was organised by the CPD and Germany-based think-tank FES, at the Brac Centre in the capital. Debapriya said the Asian LDCs were likely to achieve two out of eight MDGs, and could come very close to achieving six other indicators.
“Asian LDCs as a group performed better than African or island LDCs,” Debapriya said, adding that the targets of poverty eradication and survival of children under five-year of age were likely to be achieved by the Asian LDCs.
According to the economist, the indicators that the Asian LDCs are most likely to come close to achieving are maternal survival ratio, HIV prevalence, survival of infants, improved drinking water, improved sanitation and net enrolment ratio in primary education, the economist said.
Implementation, resources, and reforms in global rules were the major challenges for the post-MDG international development framework, which will be drawn up after the 2015 deadline, he said.
The employment situation in LDCs, including Bangladesh, was now worse than what it was before the MDG programmes began, Debapriya said, adding: “For employment to population ratio, the situation has deteriorated since 1990.”
Also regarding the employment sector, CPD Chairman Rehman Sobhan said there should be qualitative change in terms of income and social rights.
Commenting on education in the country, Gonosastho Kendro founder Zafrullah Chowdhury said the past trend of meritorious students from rural areas receiving higher education in public universities was almost impossible in today’s Bangladesh.
UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Bangladesh Neil Walker, whilst acknowledging Bangladesh’s remarkable progress, said there were many challenges ahead.
Also present at the programme was former adviser to the caretaker government Rasheda K Chowdhury who said the global system had changed after the 2001 twin tower attacks. The increasing military expenditure had eaten up funds for development expenditure, she said.
However, speaking at the discussion, Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque said no country could develop without peace and stability.
