The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has promised to advocate globally for Bangladesh's development agendas, with UNFPA Executive Director Diene Keita highly praising the nation’s governance focus on women’s empowerment, demographic resilience, comprehensive healthcare and inclusive social safety nets.
This assurance was delivered during a high-profile meeting held at the UNFPA Headquarters in New York.
The visiting Bangladeshi delegation was spearheaded by Dr. Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, the Adviser to the Prime Minister for Finance and Planning and included State Minister for Planning Zonayed Saki alongside General Economics Division Member Dr. Monzur Hossain.
During the session, Dr. Titumir highlighted the core development targets of the current administration.
These include establishing a universal, life-cycle-based social protection framework designed specifically around women, implementing the national Family Card initiative, boosting public investments in healthcare and education, expanding vocational skills and employment pathways for youth, managing a healthy aging population, generating highly reliable demographic statistics, and reinforcing grassroots primary healthcare systems.
The Prime Minister's Adviser also brought attention to the sustained humanitarian pressure on Bangladesh, noting that the country continues to shelter more than 1.2 million Rohingya refugees.
Dr. Titumir explained that this ongoing crisis places immense economic, ecological, and security strains on the country.
Consequently, he urged the UNFPA to play a more proactive role in facilitating the swift and voluntary repatriation of the Rohingya population back to Myanmar.
He emphasized that their return must be safe, dignified, rights-respecting, and paired with sustainable livelihood options.
Regarding demographic trends, Dr. Titumir pointed out that while Bangladesh's massive youth demographic offers a powerful economic dividend, the country must also proactively design policies to leverage a "longevity dividend" as life expectancy rises and the population matures.
Adding to this, State Minister Zonayed Saki shared the government's objective to construct an interconnected primary healthcare model that ensures health services reach every single citizen, with dedicated services tailored to mothers, children, and marginalized communities.
Saki also requested deeper bilateral cooperation to upgrade Bangladesh's national statistical infrastructure.
He proposed aligning the UNFPA's upcoming Country Programme with the government's strategic Five-Year Framework, and suggested documenting the country’s development milestones as a blueprint for global best practices.
In response, UNFPA Executive Director Diene Keita reaffirmed the agency's unwavering support for Bangladesh’s initiatives in demographic planning, reproductive health services, youth programs, active aging, statistical data collection, and innovative financing strategies.
Keita observed that the progress achieved by Bangladesh serves as a prime illustration of how strong political ownership and leadership can fast-track the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
She closed by promising that the UNFPA will remain dedicated to showcasing and elevating Bangladesh's developmental successes on the international stage.
