Work unitedly to exploit demographic dividend, Speaker to MPs

Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury on Sunday urged MPs to work together to harness the existing demographic dividend in the country.

“The development of people will have to be taken forward in a coordinated way to attain the sustainable development goals (SDGs),” she said while speaking at a policy dialogue titled ‘Demographic Dividend and Enhancing Skills of the Youth’ in the city.

The dialogue was held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban under Strengthening Parliament’s Capacity in Population and Development (SPCPD) Project jointly taken by Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), said a Parliament Secretariat release.

Dr Shirin Sharmin said all MPs should work together to exploit ‘youth dividend’ by 2041.

She also stressed the need for developing trained health workers to take care of the senior citizens of the country.

The Speaker said today’s youths will turn into elderly citizens in the future. “So, it’s very important for the youths to work for their future,” she said.

She said it is Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who first introduced old-age allowance in Bangladesh.

Dhaka University’s Professor Atiqur Rahman and Medical Education and Family Welfare Secretary Shaikh Yusuf Harun spoke as panel discussants at the event moderated by Parliament Secretariat’s Senior Secretary Dr Zafar Ahmed Khan.

Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Undertakings ASM Feroz, Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology Ministry AFM Ruhal Haque, Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs Shamsul Haque Tuku, Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry Md Shahiduzzaman Sarker and Whips Iqbalur Rahim and Abu Sayeed Al Mahmood Swapon were, among other MPs, present.

AIUB Professor Dr Ahmed Niaz presented the keynote paper while SPCPD Project Director MA Kamal Billah delivered the welcome speech.