Bangladesh apprehends to achieve SDGs amid the current global situation

Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh is apprehending to achieve the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in time as finance and technology transfer are the major setbacks in obtaining the goals.
Bangladesh has urged the United Nations and other agencies to come forward to continue the financial support and technological assistance to the country to achieve the goals.
The observation came during a seminar on “Bangladesh’s Journey to SDGs: From Negotiations to Implementation” jointly organised by Foreign Service Academy and the Department of International Relations of Dhaka University at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital on Thursday.
 “Financing and technological transfer are the big crisis in achieving the SDGs. Bangladesh gets only $156 billion dollars against the need of $3.5 trillion dollars. The budget deficit is 96.3 percent,” Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said, while addressing as the Chief Guest.
“Bangladesh is apprehending to achieve the SDGs amid the current global situation. We would urge the United Nations and development partners to play a rapid and effective role here,” he added.
Mentioning Bangladesh’s commitment to achieve the SDGs, he said, “Bangladesh is determined to achieve the SDGs by facing all odds. We want the full implementation of it.”
The minister also said that Bangladesh placed a number of proposals including protection of autistic children and people’s empowerment to incorporate in the SDGs and these were accepted.
“But financial support is the major challenge for achieving the goals,” he added.
State Minister for Planning Ministry Shamsul Alam said, “There is a deficit of data in the implementation of SDGs. We have limitations. More work is necessary here. We have to prepare the third progress report on SDGs. We hope it will be done by June next year.”
Emphasising the needs for the inclusion of different stakeholders in implementing the SDGs, he said, “Different stakeholders including business community and NGOs will have to be engaged in the implementation of SDGs.”
Among others, Pro-VC of Dhaka University ASM Maksud Kamal, Chairman of the Department International Relations of Dhaka University professor Muhammad Ruhul Amin and Rector of Foreign Service Academy Asad Alam Siam, spoke at the seminar.