Govt making all-out efforts to implement SDGs, PM tells UN advocate

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has informed the Queen of Belgium Mathilde Marie Christine that her government is making all-out efforts to implement the SDG agendas by incorporating them into the 2020-25 five-year plan and the 2021-41 perspective plan.

Queen Mathilde, also a UN SDG advocate, paid a visit to Sheikh Hasina at the premier's office in the capital on Wednesday, the final day of her three-day Bangladesh tour. During the tour, the queen also visited various parts of Khulna district hit by climate change, and observed the humanitarian response for the Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar.

Prime minister's Speechwriter M Nazrul Islam briefed the newsmen after Wednesday's meeting with the queen.

Referring to the Russia-Ukraine war, the prime minister told Mathilde that the entire world has become unstable and the inflation rate has gone up due to the war.

"Russia-Ukraine war should be stopped immediately as the people's suffering has been mounting across the globe due to the war," she said.

The visiting queen highly praised the premier for ensuring tremendous development in Bangladesh's various sectors particularly in women empowerment, and in the improvement of education access for women and children.

"I am very happy to see the progress," the Belgian queen said.

Mathilde began her visit to the country Monday at a garment factory in Narayanganj, where the International Labour Organization is working with women to help achieve equal rights. She then visited a Unicef ability-based accelerated learning centre in the capital that is helping children who have dropped out of school to catch up on their learning. 

During her visit to Khulna district, Mathilde observed an UN-supported water treatment facility in Sutarkhali union, an area that has been frequently hit by floods, cyclones, and salinity intrusion. The plant provides clean water to about 1,600 people.

The Queen then took a boat ride to Jhulanta Para of Khulna to see the impact of climate change and how local communities are adapting. 

The Queen also went to Cox's Bazar to meet Rohingya women, men, youths, and volunteers working in the camps, while also visiting various facilities supported by the UNHCR and its partners.