Bangladesh can drive global progress by harnessing demographic dividend: Swapon

Prime Minister’s Political Adviser Zahir Uddin Swapon on Tuesday said Bangladesh could contribute to global progress while advancing its own development by fully harnessing its demographic dividend through forward-looking policies and skills development.

He made the remarks when a delegation from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Bangladesh, comprising Deputy Representative Garik Hayrapetyan and Chief of Demographic Data and Intelligence M Shahidul Islam, paid a courtesy call on him at the Prime Minister’s Office.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed in detail the meetings scheduled to be held at the United Nations headquarters during Swapon’s upcoming visit to the United States.

They also discussed ways to make the best use of Bangladesh’s demographic dividend, taking all relevant aspects into account, and the need to build the capacity of Members of Parliament and government officials to achieve this goal.

Swapon said population was a sector whose impact extended over many years, stressing that making a forward-looking understanding of the current situation and the ability to recognise demographic transitions essential to building a prosperous and developed Bangladesh.

He said Bangladesh’s knowledge and experience could also enrich global discussions on population diversity and help address emerging challenges around the world.

Referring to the Rohingya crisis, the adviser said Bangladesh’s experience in dealing with the crisis and the lessons learned could contribute to future global development initiatives.

He said he would participate in discussions at the UN headquarters during his upcoming US visit on behalf of the Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat.

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Swapon would also highlight opportunities for cooperation with UNFPA to strengthen the capacity of officials at different levels in Bangladesh.

He expressed hope that UNFPA would play a more active role in Bangladesh’s development and capacity-building initiatives in the future.