'Bangladesh playing pivotal role in poverty reduction'

Bangladesh is playing a pioneering role in global efforts to alleviate poverty, said Prime Minister's Principal Secretary Tofazzel Hossain Miah today (14 July).

Speaking as the chief guest at a national workshop titled "National Workshop on PPEPP-EU Project," organised by the Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) in Dhaka, he noted that the rate of poverty and extreme poverty in Bangladesh has significantly decreased over the last one and a half decades.

"Behind this progress are the government's various people-oriented, timely measures. Support from development agencies has also played an effective role," he added.

He further emphasised that one of the primary goals of the Bangladesh government is to eradicate extreme poverty, stressing the necessity of undertaking long-term, sustainable activities to achieve this objective.

The workshop was organised under the "Pathways to Prosperity for Extremely Poor People - European Union (PPEPP-EU)" project, implemented by the PKSF with funding from the European Union.

European Union Ambassador to Bangladesh, Charles Whiteley, attended as the guest of honour, and Md Abdur Rahman Khan, Secretary of the Financial Institutions Division, was the special guest.

PKSF Chairman M Khairul Hossain and Managing Director Namita Halder were also present at the event.

Charles Whiteley said, "Last year, the EU and Bangladesh celebrated 50 years of cooperative relations. The PPEPP-EU project exemplifies this long standing partnership."

"In the past five decades, despite economic, infrastructural, and human development in Bangladesh, extreme poverty remains high in regions like haor and coastal areas. Therefore, continued special attention is necessary in these areas," he added.

Namita Halder said, "The PPEPP-EU project tackles challenging issues such as disability prevalence and salinity, which require significant time and effort."

M Khairul Hossain said, "Drawing upon PKSF's extensive experience in poverty alleviation, the PPEPP-EU project was meticulously planned and implemented."