“Govt anti-poverty steps needed to be implemented”

Professor Dr. Md. Salim Uddin, FCA, FCMA, Chairman, Executive Committee of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited and Chairman, Bangladesh House Building Finance Corporation said that 'measures taken by the government need to be implemented to alleviate poverty in the country'.

He said this at a webinar titled 'SDG-1 No Poverty and its perspective on Bangladesh' organised by SDG Youth Forum on Monday.

He said in his article that, Success of Bangladesh in alleviating poverty in the post-independence period was remarkable worldwide. The country's progress in achieving MDGs and socio-economic development has also been visible. Bangladesh's ongoing progress in alleviating poverty, like the rest of the world, is also being challenged by the Covid-19 pandemic. According to figures from a private company, where the poverty rate had dropped below 20 percent in the past, the Covid-19 situation has deteriorating the poverty rate again. As a result, proper implementation of the steps taken by the government to address the challenge of poverty alleviation is the first goal of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. He said that an integrated action plan should be taken to build a hunger and poverty free Bangladesh dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu.

SDG Youth Forum President Noman Ullah Bahar presided over and Asian University for Women Assistant Professor Dr. Sharin Shahjahan Naomi hosted the webinar which SDG Youth Forum's Facebook page in a virtual discussion on Monday.

The panelists were East Delta University Vice Chancellor and Economist Professor Sikander Khan, Chittagong Port Authority Member and Environmentalist Zafar Alam, Economist Mohammed Shahjahan Siddiqi, President of Bangladesh Upazila Parishad Association and Dumki Upazila Chairman of Patuakhali Harun Aur Rashid Hawladar, Founder of Obat Helpers Anwar Khan, Office Secretary of SDG Youth Forum Minhazur Rahman Shihab, Co-ordinator of Dhaka Team of SDG Youth Forum Farhana Bari,Communication Executive of Dhaka team Tanima Rahman, Member Md. Monir Khan etc.

Professor Sikandar Khan said that although the poverty rate is higher in rural areas, the rate of urban poor is also increasing. It is important to eliminate rural-urban disparities in social security. Corona will then have to work on poverty alleviation by adopting an integrated action plan in the light of experience.