Speakers focus on achieving SDGs to cut poverty

GAIBANDHA, Oct 10: Speakers in a function in the district on Wednesday laid emphasis on the need for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), otherwise known as Global Goals, by 2030 to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure people's peace and prosperity.

"In this context, all the local stakeholders including government and non-government officials, public representatives, social workers and media men should come forward with cordial and positive attitude to perform their respective duty to attain the goals", they said.

They came up with the comments while addressing a workshop on SDG-Linked Policies and Progrmmes with Local Authorities at the conference room of SKS Inn at Radhakrishnapur, an outskirt of the district town, on Wednesday noon.

SKS Foundation, a regional reputed voluntary organisation, arranged the workshop under the project of Enhancing the Participation of Community-based Organisations (CBOs) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Democratic Government in Bangladesh funded by European Union in cooperation with Oxfam in Bangladesh and Center for Policy Dialogue.

Deputy Director of local government section of deputy commissioner office Rokhsana Begum addressed the workshop as the chief guest while Dr M Khalid Hossain, economic justice and resilience programme manager of Oxfam in Bangladesh, presided over the function.

Senior programme officer of Oxfam in Bangladesh Mahfuza Akter Mala made a power point presentation on the project that would be implemented at Fulchhari and Gozaria unions under Fulchhari upazila in the district for the term of three years till June, 2021.

Senior research fellow of CPD Toufiqul Islam Khan presented the key note paper on the subject and senior research associate Mostafa Amir Subih facilitated the workshop while

Project coordinator Baharam Khah was the moderator.

Deputy director (DD) of Department of Agriculture Extension AKM Ruhul Amin, executive engineer of Department of Public Health Engineering Aminur Rahman Chowdhury and deputy director of Department of Family Planning Dewan Morshed Kamal were present on the occasion, among other.

As the local authorities are responsible to implement the policy and programmes for achieving SDGs, they will have to be more serious and transparent in this regard, the speakers said.

In the workshop, an elaborate discussion about the challenges of the SDGs was held and the strategies were also adopted to address the challenges and problems in case of achieving the SDGs targets in the project command areas of the upazila.

A number of district and upazila level officials and other stakeholder including journalists of print and electronic media took part in the workshop.

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