Income disparity reduction still remains a big challenge for Bangladesh despite significant achievements in several goals and targets set in Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), according to a summary of the MDG’s progress report 2015. The summary of the report prepared by the Planning Commission will be presented by Bangladesh delegation led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the 70th UN General Assembly scheduled for upcoming September 15 to 30 in New York. The report also mentioned cutting poverty in remote areas and char lands, access to safe water for all and the low economic participation of women as major challenges. To bring the people of those countries lagging behind into mainstream development, 189 countries (there are 193 currently) adopted the MDGs having eight goals, 21 targets and 60 indicators in 2000. The MDGs, set forth in the UN Millennium Declaration 2000, are time-bound targets to be achieved by 2015, taking 1990 as the base year. Before ending terminal year 2015, Bangladesh has already made remarkable progresses in many areas like poverty alleviation, ensuring food security, primary school enrollment, gender parity in primary and secondary level education, lowering the infant and under-five mortality rate and maternal mortality ratio, improving immunisation coverage and reducing the incidence of communicable diseases, according to the report. On number one goal of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger target, the report said Bangladesh has made commendable progress in respect of eradication of poverty and hunger. The MDG target of halving the population living below the poverty line has been achieved by Bangladesh in 2012, much ahead of 2015. Bangladesh has already met one of the indicators of target-1 by bringing down the poverty gap ratio to 6.5% against 2015 target of 8%, the report said, adding that the target of hunger as reflected through thwarting the underweight of children has already been achieved, as 66% of under-five children were underweight in 1990, which has come down to 33% in 2014. On achieving second goal of universal primary education goal, the report said significant progress has been made in increasing equitable access in education (97.7% net enrollment ratio), reduction of dropouts, improvement in completion of the cycle and implementation of a number of quality enhancement measures in primary education. However, it said: “A large part of the physically and mentally retarded children remains out of the schooling system. Improvement of quality education is also a challenge at the primary and higher levels that need to be taken care of on priority basis.” About third goal of gender equality and empower women, the report said Bangladesh has already achieved the targets of gender parity in primary and secondary education at the national level. On fourth goal of reducing child mortality, the report said Bangladesh is on track in meeting the target of this goal measured in three different indicators like under-five mortality rate, infant mortality rate and immunisation against measles. The under-five mortality rate was 151 per 1,000 live births in 1990 which has come down to 41 per 1,000 live births in 2013, and hence achieved the MDG target before the stipulated time. Likewise, the infant mortality rate was 94 per 1,000 live births in 1990 which has reduced to 32 per 1,000 live births in 2013 and hence on the verge to achieve the target of 31 by 2015. On fifth goal of improving maternal health, the report said, according to Bangladesh Maternal Mortality Survey, the maternal mortality ratio has declined from 574 per 1,00,000 live births in 1990 to 170 in 2013, showing a 70% decline in the last twenty three years. On sixth goal of combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, the report said the country has performed well in halting communicable diseases under this goal. Available data show that the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Bangladesh currently is less than 0.1% and thus is still below an epidemic level. On seventh goal of ensure environmental sustainability, the report said at present there is only 13.4% of land in Bangladesh having tree cover with density of 30% and above, which is much lower than the target of over 70% set for 2015. On developing a global partnership for development—the eighth goal, the report said during the last twenty four years, Bangladesh, on an average, received $1,736 million ODA per year (grants: $635 million, loans: $1,101 million).
