Hiren Pandit: Bangabandhu’s dream of building a Golden Bengal is being implemented by the Prime Minister with hard work and talent. With the hands of the world leader, this country will be transformed into a bright developed country like Singapore and Malaysia. Only Sheikh Hasina can build a developed, prosperous and peaceful Bengali nation and Bangladesh. She loved the country more than her children. Father’s unfinished work that needs to be completed. A non-sectarian, democratic, and future modern Bangladesh should be built. Which is the expectation of the new generation.
In the last 15 years, the country has reached a new height of socio-economic development. These achievements have been possible because the Awami League government has been running the government consistently. By 2041, the government is working with the determination to develop Bangladesh as an advanced Smart Bangladesh. For this, the vision plan 2041 has been formulated and the implementation has started. The government is working to implement the SDGs agenda through the 8th Five Year Plan and the Vision Plan targets for 2021-41.
But the challenge of achieving the target is quite difficult. Bangladesh has already been ranked among the top three countries in the world in achieving the SDGs. Besides last year Bangladesh has progressed 3 steps. It is known that in the 2023 evaluation index of SDGs, compared to 2022, Bangladesh is now ranked 101 among 166 countries. This is a positive thing. The role of partnership with the government is important in the implementation of the SDGs. After the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations announced the Sustainable Development Goals.
A total of 17 goals, 169 targets, and 232 indicators were determined in it. The main objective behind setting the SDGs was to overcome global poverty and at the same time protect the Earth’s natural environment. There are four broad challenges facing Bangladesh in implementing the SDGs. These are – accelerating economic growth, widening social inclusion, stable governance, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. To achieve this goal, various activities are going on at the government and private levels in the country. However, as its pace is not as expected, there are doubts about achieving the target within the stipulated time.
This process should be accelerated. Experts say that due to the recent global food, water, and economic crisis, developing countries are facing more challenges in effectively implementing all the goals of achieving the SDGs. Adequate funding for infrastructure development in least-developed countries faces challenges. Arranging the necessary financing for infrastructure has indeed been identified as the biggest challenge in successfully implementing the SDGs at the global level. We have come a long way in terms of economic indicators.
However, the development cannot be considered sustainable. Because the amount of delinquency is increasing, the income and consumption gap between the rich and the poor is gradually becoming evident. In Bangladesh, the world’s largest delta country, extreme climate adversities and environmental degradation are challenges to achieving sustainable growth in the country. By the year 2050, there is a danger of severe environmental disaster in Bangladesh. The melting of glaciers is likely to increase due to the increase in temperature.
Numerous glacial lakes will form in the Himalayan region. If these lakes explode, Bangladesh will face a serious disaster. Several problems including global climate change, drought, and falling water table have become obstacles to achieving the SDG goals. Our progress in sanitation is also less. Ensure safe water and sanitation for all by 2030. Globally, 80 percent of water is being polluted and going into the environment, which will one day become dangerous. 18 billion people in the world are forced to use untreated water. 663 million people have no fixed source of water. 80 percent of the wastewater generated in Dhaka remains out of management.
In addition to the formulation of contemporary water management policies, there is a special need for coordination of agencies or government departments involved in water, public health and sanitation management. Government policymakers should pay special attention to these issues. Youth is the brave, struggling and creative chapter of human life. Breaking the old, reforming and making something new is like the religion of youth. The thoughts and minds of the youth should reform the old and create the idea of doing something new. Youths should come forward in this reform work with courage and honesty.
Youth coming forward will indeed initiate change at all levels of society and in this case, the collective efforts of the youth are most effective. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, the youth are aged 15 to 29 years. In the youth policy of the government, this limit is 18 to 35 years. If the age limit is considered as youth for 29 years, then about 40 percent of people in the country are below this age. A large part of the country’s population is youth. If you want to think about the future of Bangladesh with various socio-economic diversity, you have to think about the youth. Young people will lead the implementation of the global development agenda.
Youth is a time of courage, struggle, and creativity in human life. Breaking the old and reforming something new is like the religion of youth. Youths should come forward with courage and honesty in this reform of society. The youth will initiate a revolution of change at all levels of society and the collective efforts of the youth are the most effective in this regard. If they see any irregularity or corruption in the society they have to protest unitedly and if the protest comes from the youth, then no one can stop it. It is time to consider whether the adverse effects on education, employment and mental health and technological disparities are leading to alienation among young people.
It remains to be seen whether many young people are drifting away from the mainstream of society. This condition of the youth is causing various inconsistencies. For this reason, it is necessary to analyze the isolation of young people more deeply considering the socio-economic context of Bangladesh. The achievements of the youth of our country are many. Youth are advancing in sports, art, literature and culture. Young society is moving forward in different ways using different incentives and possibilities. However, it is not clear whether the energy of a significant section of the youth is being properly utilized for the country and the nation and we have to think about it.
They must voluntarily lead the mainstream. The youth of today are the policymakers of the future. If they protest against irregularities and corruption, society will start changing slowly. Therefore, the participation of the youth in all welfare activities of the state and society is necessary. If the young society sleeps, the shadow of dark clouds will never move from the sky of the society immersed in irregularities and corruption. To change society, the youth need to get out of the self-centered way of thinking. Along with building a career, one has to think about the country and the society. All social welfare work should come forward.
Youth is a source of infinite vitality. That is why youth should be used to make life dynamic and promising. The youth must first wake up to create something new by reforming the dilapidated social system. We must stand against corruption. Only then it is possible to eliminate corruption at all levels of society. The power of youth can take society forward on the path of prosperity. The role of youth in all the reform movements including the anti-British movement, the language movement, the 1969 mass uprising and the liberation war of Bangladesh was undoubtedly commendable. Our future is very promising. So, the young society has to take some challenges to build an ideal society.
To move the country forward, the youth must also work with responsibility. One has to dream about the social state and accordingly one has to bravely overcome all the obstacles and walk the path of the dream. Proper preparation should be done and the proper preparation of the young society will take not only itself but also the society and the state to a unique path of success. A large part of the total population of the country is youth. This young society is now the innovative force to solve our social problems. Youth should come forward to build a happy-prosperous society and continue the progress of the country through competent leadership and hard work. Youth is like a bright sun hidden behind dark clouds. Some dishonest, corrupt people in society try to use the young society in various criminal and anti-social activities in a planned way for personal gain.
However, despite these adversities, various social voluntary organizations are being developed with the help of some important people of the society, patriotic politicians and some social workers with the collective efforts of the youth of the country. These voluntary organizations are working selflessly for the society. They are working as volunteers to make various government initiatives successful in the critical moment of the country. In addition, the youth are conducting various philanthropic activities, including raising funds for post-disaster rescue operations and providing financial assistance to victims and survivors.
Bangladesh is moving towards prosperity with the help of youth. Bangladesh is the dream of the young generation. Bangladesh is committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 and becoming a developed country by 2041. For that, the present government is taking significant steps to ensure decent jobs for the youth by creating various employment opportunities through wage-earning and self-employment. We need to focus on employment. It is the responsibility of all of us to properly educate the future generation of the country without destroying it. Just as teachers have a responsibility for quality education, so do parents and civil society. Everyone in society including the government party, opposition party, and civil society has the responsibility to create employment.
Job creation is a major challenge; To move the country forward by keeping the country’s education system error-free and corruption-free. It is not possible to get a job by bypassing it. Even with a big degree, there is no work. As the education system is not in line with the market demand, the number of educated unemployed is increasing in the country. Our education system is not meeting the demand for skilled and educationally qualified workers in the labor market. Not only that, due to the lack of special skills in the education of the universities of Bangladesh, the young people who have completed their studies are not able to meet the demands of the job market.
Only 19 percent of college graduates are employed full-time or part-time, while nearly half are unemployed. Furthermore, female graduates are much more likely to be unemployed and out of education two years after graduation: 43 percent of female university graduates are unemployed, compared to 37 percent of male graduates. Although skill development training has increased in recent years, there is still a huge skills shortage in the job market. Many workers in the private sector have been laid off. Lack of IT knowledge, especially among youth from disadvantaged families, shows a lack of technical knowledge required for employment, further pushing them back. We should focus on the above to mainstream the youth to build a progressive and prosperous society. Youth are playing an important role in the implementation of SDGs.
Ensuring inclusive and quality and lifelong learning opportunities for all and promoting inclusive and sustainable economic activities, including empowering the girl child, with an emphasis on ensuring full and productive employment and decent work, youth work. Young people are taking an active role in preventing child marriage and dowry to improve the overall quality of life of disadvantaged people. Intending to free society from the ravages of drugs, the young society is aware and organizing mass resistance. Regular workshops and yard meetings are held to establish harmony to build a healthy, beautiful, liberal, and multi-dimensional society.
Providing education support to children and adolescents from underprivileged families and conducting senior education programs. So that the young generation can come out of prejudice and backwardness; can prevent violence; It is necessary to build more science clubs in the country so that they can be developed as science-minded and rational. Science clubs will be practicing centers to develop themselves as enlightened people through study circles. Youth should be more involved in the implementation of SDGs.
Hiren Pandit is a columnist and researcher