The Consortium of Development Policy Research (CDPR), in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives (PD&SI) and the International Growth Centre (IGC), hosted a seminar titled “Development Journey of Bangladesh: Lessons Learnt” on 21st December 2023, at Pak Secretariat, Islamabad.

Time: 10:00 am onwards.
Venue: Auditorium P-Block, Pak Secretariat, Islamabad.

The event was attended by several members of the academic sector and the government sector. The objective of this discussion was to follow through Bangladesh’s growth and development trajectory and compare it to Pakistan by the guest speaker Dr. Sadiq Ahmed, Vice Chairman of the Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh

Dr. Sadiq Ahmed discussed the development story of Bangladesh post its independence and its long-term progress over the years. He highlighted various growth drivers in the development journey of Bangladesh and the importance of focusing on inclusive growth and progress through poverty reduction, female empowerment and focusing on export led growth in the country. He continued the seminar with policies that can be implemented by Pakistan to lead a similar growth trajectory. The presentation by Dr. Sadiq Ahmed was followed by a series of Q&A session where several attendees asked important and pertinent questions in relation to growth and development of Pakistan.

The conference was then concluded by the Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Dr. Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan who addressed the conferenced and acknowledged Pakistan’s economic challenges, such as gender disparities and the need to leverage the youthful population for economic progress. He also shed light on the importance of a stable leadership and robust infrastructure for the growth of Pakistan.

The discussion drew upon the following presentation:

Bangladesh Development Performance — Progress and Emerging Challenges December 2023