Bangladesh on track to complete current spate of transformation in 2041: Planning Minister

Bangladesh is well on track to reach the logical and sequential conclusion of the current spate of transformation for the nation to be on equal terms with the rest of the world, Minister for Planning MA Mannan has said.

The planning minister made the remark while speaking as the chief guest at a day-long conference organised by the Department of Social Science and Humanities of Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) in Dhaka on Saturday, 13 November. 

The international conference was titled: "Bangladesh in 2041: Notions and Narratives of Diversification and Transformation."

Renowned economist and policy expert Dr Rehman Sobhan, chairman of Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), delivered the keynote speech. Johannes Van der Klaauw, UNHCR Representative in Bangladesh, Charles Whiteley, Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh, former governor of Bangladesh Prof Atiur Rahman, and A Matin Chowdhury, Chairman, Board of Trustees, IUB, also spoke at the programme. 

The planning minister also said, "The year 2041 will be the year when we will have our own strengths recognised and utilised in furthering development. As the numbers suggest, it seems quite possible and we take pride that this has happened in our time, that is, these last 10-11 years."

In his keynote presentation styled "Bangladesh's transformation and challenges, the pathway from national liberation to 2041", Prof Rehman Sobhan laid emphasis on what he termed as the remarkable liberation of entrepreneurial talents, which he said was unleashed five decades ago by the liberation of Bangladesh. 

IUB BoT Chair A Matin Chowdhury said, "We spoke about what we went through in the last 50 years and how we get to the next stage. The direction has to come from our teachers and our students. As a country, we already have the momentum going. It's important that we don't let this momentum go."

IUB VC Tanweer Hasan said, "Bangladesh is a nation built on the resilience and tenacity of its people. It is no stranger to challenges. As we strive to develop our country, urgent action is required to invest in developing human resources. I call upon all educational institutions in the country to revamp their curriculum so the graduates can become tech savvy and can keep up with the ever-changing global market."

The conference comprised 14 thematically organised panel discussions accommodated within four sessions. Eminent researchers from different corners of the world chaired the discussions. Papers submitted for the conference covered topics such as the Rohingya issue, coping strategy and informal economy, environment and climate change, digital responsibility among youth, public health, governance and inclusive development, foreign policy and politics, marginalisation and resistance, the 4th industrial revolution, education in the new frontier and emerging cultural discourses in Bangladesh.