The Bangladesh Development Forum (BDF) was a high level flagship event of the Government of Bangladesh where the government shared its national vision and strategies with the wider development community and consulted with the development partners on key development priorities. The BDF brought together ministers, top government bureaucrats, representatives of donor countries, senior development partner officials and civil society representatives, to ensure a strengthened partnership among the key stakeholders for sustainable development of Bangladesh. Since the forum took place just after the launch of the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it provided an opportunity to discuss how Bangladesh can attain the SDGs.
The key session of the forum was on ‘Macro-economic management: A journey from lower to higher middle income country through an inclusive growth strategy ensuring SDGs’. There were six more thematic sessions which focused on the 7th Five Year Plan and SDG implementation. The sessions were:
- Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change
- Strengthening Economic Foundations: Strategies for Development of Infrastructure
- Governance and Development: Strengthening Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation
- Health and Quality Education: Offering a Secure Future for All
- Social Protection: Leaving no one Behind
- Mainstreaming Gender in Economic Development
Mr. Syed Munir Khasru, Chairman of IPAG was among Panelists on “Governance and Development: Strengthening partnership for effective development cooperation” session. In the session he emphasized on the need for greater cooperation among the major stakeholders as the country envisions to become an Upper Middle Income country by 2021.
The session was also attended by:
- Mashiur Rahman, Hon’ble Economic Adviser to the Prime Minister
- Mohammad Mejbahuddin, Senior Secretary, Economic Relations Division (ERD), Ministry of Finanace
- Md. Shahidul Haque, Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- E. Mr. Pierre Mayaudon, Ambassador & Head of EU delegation
- Md. Mahiuddin Khan, Additional Secretary, Cabinet Division, Government of Bangladesh
Professor Mustafizur Rahman, Executive Director, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD)