Youth participants at a consultation meeting on Monday opined that quality education, decent employment, freedom of speech, and tackling climate change should be prioritised to drive the country forward.
They emphasised ensuring equitable opportunities for all, so that no one is left behind in the development agenda. They also stressed the importance of a balanced distribution of power for good governance.
These observations were made at the consultation meeting titled "National SDG Report (VNR) 2025: Perspectives of the Left-behind, Youth, and Business Leaders".
Citizen's Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh; Office of the Principal Coordinator for SDG Affairs, the Chief Adviser's Office; and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Bangladesh jointly organised the event at the Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Centre (BCFCC) in the capital.
The consultation brought together young representatives from diverse communities, both from the capital and outside.
Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya, Convenor of the Citizen's Platform and Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), noted that the previous Voluntary National Review (VNR) was government-led, but this time they aimed for a more inclusive national VNR.
Mustafizur Rahman, Distinguished Fellow at CPD, called for a coordinated education system to address the issue of quality education.
Shihab Quader, Director General of SDG Affairs at the Prime Minister's Office, highlighted the importance of local consultations before national-level meetings in Dhaka.
Anowarul Haq, Assistant Resident Representative of UNDP Bangladesh, noted that this consultation marked the beginning of a new culture of inclusion, particularly through youth participation. He focused on involving young people from various communities in the consultation process.
This consultation is a part of Bangladesh's preparation for its third VNR to assess progress of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), considering the new national context. The government's VNR preparation process includes a series of consultations with diverse stakeholder groups to ensure broader ownership of SDG delivery in the country. The insights gathered from these consultations are expected to shape key messages for the VNR.
During the consultation, group work sessions focused on gathering youth perspectives on SDG implementation in Bangladesh as well as the role of young people in the VNR preparation process.
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