Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said that to ensure sustainable and inclusive development in Bangladesh, the coordinated participation of the private sector, civil society, development partners and the general public alongside the government is vital for implementing the SDGs.

He made these remarks in his concluding speech on the final day of a three-day national conference on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) held in the capital on Wednesday.

The minister said that the core centre of sustainable development is the family. If the improvement of education, health, employment, social security and standard of living is ensured for a single family, the country’s overall development will be accelerated. So, the general people’s needs and improvement of living standards must be given the highest priority at every stage of SDG implementation.

Bangladesh has achieved notable progress in attaining the SDGs. But development plans and implementation strategies must undergo necessary reforms in alignment with changing global and domestic realities. Simply setting targets is not enough; accurate data, effective planning, adequate financing and strict monitoring of implementation must be ensured to achieve the set goals, he noted.

Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said that the discussions, recommendations and exchange of experiences at this event will play an important role in formulating future action plans for SDG implementation and determining Bangladesh’s development priorities.