The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has pledged to highlight Bangladesh's demographic resilience and development achievements internationally. UNFPA Executive Director Diene Keita made the commitment during a meeting with a Bangladesh delegation led by Adviser to the Prime Minister for Finance and Planning Dr Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir at UNFPA Headquarters in New York. The meeting also included State Minister for Planning Zonayed Saki and Member of the General Economics Division Dr Monzur Hossain.
During the discussions, Director Keita praised Bangladesh's political commitment to demographic resilience, women's empowerment, universal healthcare, and an inclusive social security system. Dr Titumir outlined the government's priorities, which include establishing a universal life-cycle-based social security system, implementing the Family Card initiative, increasing investment in education and healthcare, promoting youth skills and employment, ensuring healthy ageing, maintaining credible population data, and strengthening primary healthcare.
He also highlighted Bangladesh's ongoing challenge of hosting more than 1.2 million Rohingya refugees and called for greater UNFPA engagement to support their early repatriation to Myanmar and to help ensure their safe, dignified, and rights-based return with access to sustainable livelihood opportunities. Dr Titumir stressed the need to prepare for longevity dividends as the population ages, given the country's large youth population.
State Minister for Planning Zonayed Saki expressed the government's aim to establish an integrated primary healthcare system that ensures universal access, with particular emphasis on mothers, children, and underserved communities. He sought closer cooperation in strengthening Bangladesh's national statistical system, aligning UNFPA's next Country Programme with the government's Five-Year Strategic Framework, and documenting Bangladesh's development experience as a global best practice.
Reaffirming UNFPA's commitment to Bangladesh, Executive Director Diene Keita said the organisation would continue supporting the country's efforts on demographic resilience, reproductive health, youth development, healthy ageing, population data, and innovative financing. She said Bangladesh's experience demonstrates how strong political leadership and national ownership can accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and pledged to continue promoting the country's achievements internationally.
