Session 5: SOCIAL TRANSITIONS

Wednesday, Dec 8, 2021 | 6:00pm – 7:45pm | Bangladesh Time (GMT+6)

Dr Selim Jahan
Former Director, Human Development Report Office, UNDP

Paper Title – Fifty years of human development in Bangladesh: achievements and challenges

Abstract:

The fundamental objective of development is to create an enabling environment for people to enjoy a long, healthy and creative life. In its development journey, Bangladesh has always put people at the centre of development – its development focus has never been simply on the richness of the economy, but also on the richness of the lives of its people. This year, Bangladesh marks the Golden Jubilee of its independence after a nine-month bloody liberation war. At its birth, doubts were expressed by some about the future of the new country and yes, there have been some turns and twists in the development path of Bangladesh. But over the past 50 years, the country has not only remained on a steady trajectory, but has also pushed that trajectory even to a higher level. Today, Bangladesh is being heralded as a development miracle by the world. Yet, as it looks forward to the next 50 years, human development challenges remain for Bangladesh. Some of these challenges are lingering challenges, like poverty, gender inequality; some are deepening challenges, like inequalities, climate change; and some are, undoubtedly, emerging challenges, like human security and Covid-19 pandemic. The global scenario would also give rise to some human development challenges for Bangladesh. In the context of all these, the present paper reflects on the overall human development landscape of Bangladesh from a historical perspective over the past 50 years. It focuses on human development trends of Bangladesh – the achievements, the disparities and the deprivations and highlights the factors contributing to the achievements. It also points out the country’s human development challenges—lingering, deepening and emerging. The paper identifies the policy options and the needed institutional reforms to march forward.