Smart ways to fight poverty and provide economic opportunity
Bangladesh has made spectacular progress over the recent years. The country has halved poverty and the economy has grown by about 6.0 per cent a year. But many challenges continue to frustrate its development efforts. According to the World Bank, one-third of children under age five are underweight, and two out of every five adults cannot read. A quarter of the population still lives in poverty. And other obstacles, from failing road infrastructure to limited electricity access, still plague many citizens.
Stakeholders from the government to international donors to everyday citizens want to make progress toward a better tomorrow. To do that, we must focus today on the solutions that will help the people of Bangladesh prosper most, and at the least cost.