BD fares better in attaining SDGs after Sri Lanka

Bangladesh fared better in attaining the SAARC Development Goals (SDGs) after Sri Lanka compared to the other South Asian countries as it became the star performer in case of fertility rate. The fertility rate (children per woman) in Bangladesh in 2011 was 2.2, followed by 2.3 in Sri Lanka and Bhutan, 2.6 in India, 2.7 in Nepal and 3.4 in Pakistan, according to a report. The General Economics Division (GED) of the Planning Commission launched the report, titled ‘SAARC Development Goals: Bangladesh Country Report 2013’, at a simple ceremony held at the NEC conference room in city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. The report highlights the current trends of achieving the goals and future policy interventions in attaining the set targets. It shows that Bangladesh has been convincingly moving towards achieving some goals, while some of the goals can be attained with pushed efforts. However, achievement of some goals may require more resources or time, according to UNB.