Inauguration of MDG Bangla Portal

On November 13^th, the Sustainable Development Networking Programme (SDNP) of Bangladesh has launched their Millennium Development Goals (MDG) portal in Bangla. The inaugural ceremony was held at the National Press Club and it was launched by Mr Shajahan Siraj MP and the Hon’ble Minister of Environment and forest. As the chief guest of the ceremony he lauded the role of SDNBD in developing the timely and needful portal on MDG and he also informed about the recent progress of the government, specially on the environment issues. Elimination of two wheelers from Dhaka city and ban on polythene are two important steps taken by his ministry. 

From right side: M. Asaduzzaman - PD SDNP,  Dr Quazi Shahabuddin Ahmed, DG, BIDS, Mr Shajahan Siraj MP and the Hon’ble Minister of Environment and forest, Mr Sabihuddein Ahmed, the Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forest and the National Programme Director, SEMP, Mr Larry Maramis, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP, Hakikur Rahman - PC SDNP

The chief guest in his address said, this kind of activities is opening a new era of revolution in our country. He highlighted the activities of UNDP and various national and international NGO’s and Bangladesh Government as well. Goals and targets of Millennium Development Goals have been taken from the Millennium summit of the United Nations. UNDP, in collaboration with the national government, is coordinating the reports from other countries on progress towards the UN Millennium Development Goals. The frame work for reporting includes eight goals-based on the UN Millennium Declaration. For each goal there is one or more specific target, along with specific social, economic and environmental indicators used to track progress towards the goals. 

MDG Bangla Portal Launching by Mr Shajahan Siraj MP and the Hon’ble Minister of Environment and forest, Mr Sabihuddein Ahmed, the Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forest and the National Programme Director, SEMP

The first goal of MDG is Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger which is going to play an important role in our socio-economic perspective. Other goals are to achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and empower woman, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat HIV/AIS, malaria and other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability and develop a global partnership for development.

The objective of national development is to develop the life style of common people. It has some materialistic and socialistic aspect. The MDG constitutes one of the most precise target-oriented and time-bound steps for eradication of some the vestiges of worst kinds of human depreciation in which people suffer from, particularly in the developing and the least developed countries. These encompass general poverty reduction to specific issues such as related to universal education, lowering of maternal mortality and HIV/AIDS. In Bangladesh, substantial progress has been made in poverty reduction and lowering infant mortality. On the other hand, maternal mortality has fallen rather slowly while the awareness regarding HIV/AIDS has just started.

From right side: M. Asaduzzaman - PD SDNP,  Dr Quazi Shahabuddin Ahmed, DG, BIDS, Mr Shajahan Siraj MP and the Hon’ble Minister of Environment and forest, Mr Sabihuddein Ahmed, the Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forest and the National Programme Director, SEMP, Mr Larry Maramis, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP

Mr Sabihuddein Ahmed, the Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forest and the National Programme Director, SEMP presided the inaugural ceremony. He said that with the assistance from the government and donors, this project can progress further to disseminate the information to the grass root community. He also said that BIDS is implementing 2 of the 26 components of SEMP and SDNP is one of them. Developing a Bangla portal on MDG is one of the main activities of SDNP.

As the Chair of the session, he said that, the goal of the pilot 1 of SDNP is to foster and encourage greater participation and interest in the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) by the citizens, civil society and the government including other development actors in the country. To this end, the SDNP created a portal on local contents in local language to support the various public, private and civil society initiatives towards the attainment of the MDGs. The main target of SDNP is to contribute to national development by providing services in information and communication technology and to internet connectivity to rural communities for the enhancement of delivery of education, health care and livelihood programs of government agencies, multilateral and other concerned institutions. SDNP had been working relentlessly from last 4 years in this aspect. Various classes of society have got internet connectivity and its web site has been enriched with information of sustainable development as well as millennium development goals.

Dr M. Asaduzzaman, Project Director of SDNP said, "we have developed this site to keep in mind that all information will be useful to the mass people. Perhaps all of us know that in the UN Millennium Summit 8 goals have been declared targeting the developing countries, and these are generally called Millennium Development Goals". He also said, that some goals and targets under MDG have been accomplished in our country, but most of the people are not aware of it. Recently interim poverty alleviation report (IPRSP) has been made and the prime objective of this report is to achieve those goals, which is also unknown to many of our common people. To eradicate this lack of knowledge our portal will play a vital role in Bangladesh.

Among others Dr Quazi Shahabuddin Ahmed, DG, BIDS, Mr Larry Maramis, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP, officers of SEMP Project and other dignitaries were present on this occasion.