‘Leave no one behind’ guides SDG push

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has placed the Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs) principle of “leaving no one behind” at the centre of Bangladesh’s development agenda, calling for coordinated action to ensure that economic opportunities, social protection and essential services reach people across all sections of society.

Speaking at the opening of a national conference on the country’s five-year strategy for achieving the SDGs, Tarique said progress would depend on joint efforts by the government, private sector, development partners, NGOs, civil society, the media and citizens.

“No single ministry or department can implement the SDGs alone. Success requires the collective efforts of the government, private sector, development partners, NGOs, civil society, the media and every citizen,” he said.

The prime minister made the remarks while inaugurating the three-day national conference titled “Navigating Five-Year Strategic Framework for Achieving SDGs: Policy, Partnership and Priority 2026” at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre on Monday.

The General Economics Division (GED) of the Bangladesh Planning Commission and the Governance Innovation Unit (GIU) of the Prime Minister’s Office jointly organised the conference.

Tarique said the SDG principle of “leaving no one behind” was closely aligned with the government’s policy of putting Bangladesh first while protecting the interests of people from all sections of society.

He said the government’s vision was to build a democratic state based on free elections, the rule of law and institutional accountability, alongside a humane state where healthcare, education and citizens’ rights would be universal.

“We want to build a democratic state where there will be free elections, rule of law and institutional accountability; a humane state where healthcare, education and citizens’ rights will be universal; and a welfare state where equal economic opportunities and intergenerational equity will be ensured,” he said.

The prime minister expressed hope that each coordinating ministry and division would use the three-day conference to assess its progress, identify challenges and set future priorities before preparing realistic and time-bound action plans for achieving the SDGs.

“Let us all work with firm determination to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030,” he said.

Tarique said Bangladesh had made significant progress in implementing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and was continuing efforts to advance the SDGs.

He said the government’s development plans would focus on reducing poverty and inequality while expanding access to social protection, education and healthcare, promoting gender equality, strengthening climate resilience and improving governance.

The prime minister said more than a decade and a half of what he described as “fascist rule” had left Bangladesh dependent on loans and imports while weakening key sectors, including education, healthcare and the environment.

Rebuilding the country, he said, would therefore require a comprehensive approach, with the SDGs providing an important framework for long-term development.

As part of that effort, the government has begun implementing a five-year strategic framework for economic development aimed at aligning the national development plan with the UN SDGs, he said.

Tarique said the government’s five pillars of reform and development reflected several key SDG priorities, including poverty reduction, universal social protection, quality education and healthcare, gender equality, climate resilience and good governance.

He also highlighted the government’s “3R” strategy — recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction — describing it as a framework for moving from immediate stability towards long-term structural transformation.

Expanding social protection
The prime minister said the government had introduced several social protection initiatives since taking office, including the Family Card to support women’s social and economic empowerment, the Farmers’ Card to protect farmers’ interests and the e-Health Card to improve access to public healthcare.

“These programmes are intended to take direct subsidies, agricultural inputs, financial assistance and healthcare services to marginal farmers, low-income families and vulnerable groups,” he said.

The government is also working on programmes such as the Sports Card and plans to extend honorarium support to imams, muezzins and religious leaders of different faiths, he said.

“These initiatives will gradually expand the government’s support network to people from every section of society,” Tarique said.

He said the government aimed to bring as many citizens as possible under social protection and economic support schemes during its current term.

SDGs go local
At the conference, Tarique inaugurated three pilot SDG villages as part of an initiative to localise the global goals across Bangladesh.

The villages are Mitingachhari in Kaptai upazila of Rangamati, Pankhali in Dacope upazila of Khulna and Nafanagar in Bochaganj upazila of Dinajpur.

The pilot initiative will bring together a range of development programmes at village level, including Family Cards, Health Cards, Farmers’ Cards, small and medium enterprise loans, school uniforms, madrasa-based education, renewable energy, village tourism, blue employment and the “One Village, One Product” initiative.

It will also cover tree plantation, canal restoration and ecotourism, the prime minister said.

“The impact of these programmes will also be monitored, and based on the success of the initiative, the government plans to expand the model to other villages,” he said.

Tarique expressed hope that the SDG Village initiative would eventually develop into an internationally recognised development model demonstrating the implementation of the government’s electoral commitments.

He said the ultimate objective was to build a Bangladesh where people could live in peace, enjoy equal opportunities and benefit from development regardless of their social or economic background.

The event was addressed by Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Finance and Planning Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, State Minister for Finance and Planning Zonayed Saki, Planning Division Secretary SM Shakil Akhter and UN Resident Coordinator Carol Flore-Smereczniak, among others.

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury chaired the programme.