Adviser to the Prime Minister on the Ministry of Public Administration Md Ismail Zabihullah. File Photo

DHAKA, Aug 10, 2026 (BSS) — Adviser to the Prime Minister on the Ministry of Public Administration Md Ismail Zabihullah today called for concerted efforts by the government, NGOs, local government institutions, development partners and field administration to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) successfully ahead of the target.

“Cooperation of all stakeholders is essential for making the SDGs successful before the target,” he said while addressing a plenary session titled “Reflection on SDG Localization and SDG Village Piloting Programme” at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre (BCFCC) here this afternoon.

Dr. Monzur Hossain, Member (Secretary) of the General Economics Division (GED), moderated the session.

Representatives of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), GED and UNDP made presentations on SDG localization, data management, the three SDG pilot village programme and lessons learned from two selected villages.

Professor Dr. S M Abdul-Awal, Principal Coordinator (SDG Affairs) at the Prime Minister’s Office also spoke.

The session also featured discussions involving lawmakers Dipen Dewan, Md. Sadique Reaz, NGO Affairs Bureau Director General Dr. Mohammad Zakaria, senior government officials and representatives.

Divisional Commissioners of Chattogram, Khulna and Rangpur and an Additional Secretary of the Cabinet Division also took part in the discussion.

Md Ismail Zabihullah said Bangladesh had a strong track record in implementing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and expressed optimism that the country would also be able to achieve the SDGs through its experience, institutional capacity and coordinated efforts.

“I feel honoured to be invited here and given an opportunity to share some thoughts with you,” Zabihullah said, recalling Bangladesh’s success in achieving several MDG targets ahead of schedule.

He said Bangladesh’s development partners had confidence in the country because of its implementation efficiency and repayment capacity.

“We need our development partners, and at the same time they also need to support us. I welcome this mechanism and spirit. I would request our government officials to keep it up for the future,” he said.

Referring to the government’s election manifesto, the adviser said implementation of the SDGs and implementation of the political commitments made to the people were closely interconnected.

“If we are implementing the five-year strategic framework for implementation of the SDGs, I would read it as implementation of our election manifesto and the promises we made to the people before the election,” he said.

He noted that many of the commitments in the election manifesto correspond to the SDGs, while some commitments fall outside the SDG framework. Those commitments, he said, would also have to be implemented as part of the government’s political pledge to the people.

Zabihullah appreciated the initiative to pilot SDG localization in selected villages, saying the pilot villages could serve as “laboratories” to test whether SDG-oriented development interventions actually work at the grassroots level before replicating them across the country.

“The three villages are going to be laboratories. We will see how they work so that the SDG-related initiatives can later be replicated throughout Bangladesh,” he said.

He also suggested considering the inclusion of a village from an underprivileged char area in the pilot programme so that development challenges faced by disadvantaged communities could also be reflected.

The adviser stressed that the real success of development should be measured by its impact on ordinary people’s daily lives rather than only by large infrastructure projects or economic statistics.

“Development becomes meaningful only when ordinary people can feel it in their own lives,” he said.

He said a common citizen primarily looks at whether education for children has become easier, whether proper treatment is available during illness, whether farmers receive better prices for their crops, whether household income has increased and whether families can remain safe during disasters.

“The real measure of development is written in the everyday lives of ordinary people. This is exactly where the localization of the SDGs becomes important,” he said.

Zabihullah said SDG localization should be a bottom-up process rather than something imposed from outside.

“Development policies have to be adapted to the country, the society and the village. Only then can they be effectively implemented,” he said.

He urged the field administration, including divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners, upazila-level officials and local government institutions, to work together with NGOs and other stakeholders to make the SDGs a success.

“I request everyone to cooperate so that we can successfully implement the SDGs ahead of the target, while also implementing those areas of our election manifesto that are not covered by the SDGs,” he said.

Principal Coordinator on SDG Affairs Dr. S M Abdul-Awal stressed the need for long-term and people-oriented policies to address the country’s socio-economic challenges and ensure sustainable development.

He said sustained policy initiatives over five to ten years are necessary to bring lasting changes in areas such as employment, water management and agriculture.
Referring to the government’s Family Card initiative, he said increasing demand for essential goods could help expand production and create employment opportunities.
“This is the root cause that our Honourable Prime Minister has pointed out while explaining why we are providing Family Cards,” he said.

The SDG Coordinator highlighted the ongoing canal excavation programme as another example of a long-term development initiative.

He recalled that Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman had undertaken canal excavation programmes to support agricultural development, saying the initiative could have helped prevent the gradual depletion of groundwater if it had been continued over the years.

He said the country is facing declining water levels and water shortages in different regions, including northern Bangladesh.

“If we can create a large number of natural water reservoirs, we can use the surface water for irrigation, while water recharge can gradually raise the underground water level,” he said.

The plenary session discussed experiences, challenges and prospects of SDG localization and the SDG Village Piloting Programme, with participation from senior government officials, divisional commissioners, NGO representatives, lawmakers and other stakeholders.

The programme concluded with a vote of thanks and closing remarks by the moderator.