ABOUT BDF

Bangladesh Development Forum 2020

Economic Relations Division (ERD), Ministry of Finance is organizing Bangladesh Development Forum (BDF) 2020 on 29 and 30 January 2020 at Bangabandhu International Conference Center, Dhaka, Bangladesh. BDF is a high-level multi-stakeholder participatory forum, periodically hosted by the Economic Relations Division (ERD), Ministry of Finance, which provides a platform for effective dialogues among development partners, national and international NGOs, development think-tanks, development practitioners, leaders from business and industry. It creates opportunity for building partnership among the stakeholders for identified implementation challenges and policy or resource gaps.

Honorable Prime Minister of the Government of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina, MP has kindly consented to inaugurate the event as chief guest. Honorable Finance Minister Mr. A H M Mustafa Kamal, FCA, MP will chair the inaugural session.

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Speakers

Inaugural Ceremony

H.E. Sheikh Hasina, MP

H.E. Sheikh Hasina, MP

Hon’ble Prime Minister of the Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh
H.E. A H M Mustafa Kamal, FCA, MP

H.E. A H M Mustafa Kamal, FCA, MP

Hon’ble Finance Minister, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh
Mr Monowar Ahmed

Mr Monowar Ahmed

Secretary, ERD and Co-Chair, Local Consultative Group
Ms. Mia Seppo

Ms. Mia Seppo

UN Resident Coordinator & Co-chair, Local Consultative Group
Mr Shixin Chen

Mr Shixin Chen

Vice President, Asian Development Bank
Mr Hartwig Schafer

Mr Hartwig Schafer

Vice President for South Asia, World Bank
Mr Junichi Yamada

Mr Junichi Yamada

Senior Vice President, JICA
About Conference

Sessions

  • Day 01 29th Jan 2020
  • Day 02 30th Jan 2020
11:30 AM- 1:30 PM

Effective Partnership for Implementing the 8th Five Year Plan Aiming towards Achieving SDGs

  • Venue: Hall of Fame, BICC
  • Chair: H.E. A H M Mustafa Kamal, FCA, MP
  • Keynote Presenter: Dr. Shamsul Alam
  • Panelists:
H.E. A H M Mustafa Kamal, FCA, MP
Dr. Shamsul Alam
Mr. Khandker Anwarul Islam
Mr. Abdur Rouf Talukder
Ms Judith Herbertson
Ameerah Haq
H.E Ms Rensje Teerink
Mr Masud Bin Momen
This stage-setting session will share the broad outline of the 8th Five Year Plan. The strategies to achieve the goals of the plan delineated in the document will be discussed. The session will also attempt to identify the common grounds and explore to build effective partnership with the key stakeholders for structural transformation and further social progress in the country.
Details
2:30 PM- 4:00 PM

Private Sector Engagement and Trade Facilitation

  • Venue: Harmony, BICC
  • Chair: Mr. Sheikh Fazle Fahim
  • Keynote Presenter: Dr. Md. Zafar Uddin
  • Panelists:
Mr. Sheikh Fazle Fahim
Dr. Md. Zafar Uddin
Mr. Md. Sirajul Islam
Mr. Paban Chowdhury
Ms. Rubana Huq
John Smith-Sreen
Yutaka Yoshino
The business session will explore what reform measures Bangladesh needs to take to improve its investment climate and strengthen institutions that support the private sector as a mean of improving Bangladesh’s competitiveness to attract both domestic and foreign investment.
Details

Partnership for Climate Change and its Financing

  • Venue: Carnival, BICC
  • Chair: H.E. Md. Shahab Uddin
  • Keynote Presenter: Ziaul Hasan, ndc
  • Panelists:
H.E. Md. Shahab Uddin
Ziaul Hasan, ndc
Kabir Bin Anwar
Radhika Lal
Dr. Mohammad Musa
Prof. Kimio Takeya
Mr Javier Manzanares
Given its unique geographic, socioeconomic, and physical characteristics, the impacts of climate change such as extreme weather events, flooding, heat and sea-level rise threaten the security of millions of Bangladeshis and pose major challenges to the country’s sustainable development. The discussion will center how an effective partnership can be built with the DPs, private sector for sourcing financing to manage the climate change.
Details
4:15 PM- 5:40 PM

Innovative Financing for Self-reliant Bangladesh

  • Venue: Harmony, BICC
  • Chair: H.E. Mr. M. A. Mannan
  • Keynote Presenter: Mr Monowar Ahmed
  • Panelists:
Mr Monowar Ahmed
H.E. Mr. M. A. Mannan
Dr. Ahmad Kaikaus
Mr. Abu Hena Md. Rahmatul Muneem
Ilias Skamnelos
Barrister Ms. Nihad Kabir
Mr Dongdong Zhang
While Bangladesh has transformed itself from an aid-dependent country into a trade-dependent one, the role of external financing cannot be undermined for poverty alleviation, social sector activities and infrastructural development. The session will address the issue- how Bangladesh can innovate financing sources and mechanism through piloting new financing models.
Details

Rural Transformation: Creating Opportunities for All

  • Venue: Carnival, BICC
  • Chair: H.E. Md. Tazul Islam
  • Keynote Presenter: Md. Helal Uddin Ahmed
  • Panelists:
H.E. Md. Tazul Islam
Md. Helal Uddin Ahmed
Robert Simpson
Omer Zafar
Mr Md Aminul Islam
Dr Nagesh Kumar
Dr K A S Murshid
The current Government assume the power for the third term election with a vision to extend all modern civic amenities to every villages of the country- which was one of the main pillars in their election manifesto in 2019. The session will effort to recognize broader policy options and means for building strategic partnership with all key stakeholders including private sector, development partners and NGOs.
Details
10:00 AM- 11:30 AM

Energy Security for Sustainable Growth

  • Venue: Carnival, BICC
  • Chair: H.E. Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury
  • Keynote Presenter: Dr. Sultan Ahmed , Md. Anisur Rahman
  • Panelists:
H.E. Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury
Dr. Sultan Ahmed
Md. Anisur Rahman
Monowar Islam, ndc
Van Berkel Rene
Dr Tika Limbu
Mr Abdi Hamid
Mr. Mohammad Mejbahuddin
Mr. Abul Mansur Md. Faizullah, ndc
Energy security and sustainable development is a much-talked issue because of its huge consumption, volatile energy prices in international market and concerns over environmental sustainability and particularly about the global climate. These issues are critically important for Bangladesh in which impressive economic growth has boosted the demand for energy and put corresponding strains on the environment. To pursue energy security, Bangladesh needs to ensure that energy supplies are available, sufficient, affordable and sustainable. This will mean taking a broad range of measures: conserving and raising energy efficiency; rationalizing pricing and taxation systems; improving energy sector governance; and diversifying energy supplies, in particular making greater use of alternative and renewable resources.
Details

Health Services: Inclusive Delivery Options

  • Venue: Harmony, BICC
  • Chair: H.E. Zahid Maleque
  • Keynote Presenter: Md. Ashadul Islam
  • Panelists:
H.E. Zahid Maleque
Md. Ashadul Islam
Sheikh Altaf Ali
Kerry Pelzman
Bardan Jung Rana
Farah Kabir
A dramatic rise in chronic, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), particularly among the poor, aggravates these challenges. Estimates suggest that NCDs- which include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and cancers- now account for half of all deaths each year. The session will address what are the policy options could be leveraged or how new tools and technologies like e-Health, m-Health could be designed to tackle locally-relevant frameworks that integrate issues of health equity, governance, and accountability into program design, delivery, and evaluation.
Details
11:45 AM- 1:15 PM

Quality Education for All: Preparing for 4th Industrial Revolution

  • Venue: Carnival, BICC
  • Chair: Dr. Dipu Moni
  • Keynote Presenter: Md. Mahbub Hossain
  • Panelists:
Dr. Dipu Moni
Md. Mahbub Hossain
Mr. Akram-Al-Hossain
Tomoo Hozumi
Rasheda K Chowdhury
Dr Hans Lambrecht
While the privileged class who can afford to send their children to the top elite schools are ensured of a good education, many schools, especially in rural areas in Bangladesh lack good teachers and facilities, making education inequitable. Secondly, the focus on memorization also hampers the creativity of children. Furthermore, school completion rates are low. This business session targets to discuss how to ensure students all across Bangladesh have access to a quality of education and the creativity and need-based skill development are integral part of the education system.
Details

Sustainable Cities: Services and Protection for the Vulnerable

  • Venue: Harmony, BICC
  • Chair: H.E. S M Rezaul Karim
  • Keynote Presenter: Md. Shahid Ullah Khandaker
  • Panelists:
H.E. S M Rezaul Karim
Md. Shahid Ullah Khandaker
Sudipto Mukerjee
Ridma Khan, Director
Mr Andrew Cross
Engr. Md. Nurul Huda
Md. Nurul Amin
Ms Angelika Fleddermann
Bangladesh is one of the world’s fastest growing economies, driven by the country’s rapid urbanization. Urban Bangladesh accounts for more than 65% of national GDP. The rapid urbanization has meant that the cities in Bangladesh are not sustainable in terms of livability. The lack of proper low-cost housing, sanitation and other basic amenities in slums and other underserved areas including informal settlements of cities make it especially difficult for the vulnerable section of society. This session will aim at a deeper understanding of how to improve service delivery mechanisms for the urban poor and vulnerable populations to ensure more inclusive and sustainable development in cities.
Details
02:30 PM - 03:30 PM

Closing Session & Media Briefing

  • Chair: H.E. A H M Mustafa Kamal, FCA, MP
  • Guest of Honour:
    H.E. M A Mannan, MP
    H. E. Dr A K Abdul Momen, MP
    H. E. Dr. Mashiur Rahman
  • Vote of Thanks:
    Ms Mia Seppo
    Mr Monowar Ahmed
H.E. A H M Mustafa Kamal, FCA, MP
H.E. M A Mannan, MP
Ms Mia Seppo
Mr Monowar Ahmed
Partners

BDF Partners

UNDP
UNICEF
BRAC
World Bank

Development Partners

Asian Development Bank (ADB)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Islamic Development Bank (IDB)
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
International Labour Organization (ILO)
The World Bank
World Health Organization (WHO)
Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)
International Finance Corporation (IFC)
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)
Belgium
India
China
Switzerland
United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
World Food Programme (WFP)
United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
United Nations Volunteers (UNV)
International Trade Centre (ITC)
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
World Trade Organization (WTO)
OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID)
European Commission (EC)
Commonwealth Secretariat
Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation (CFTC)
Colombo Plan Council
Colombo Plan Staff College for Technician Education (CPSC)
International Development Association (IDA)
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
International Finance Corporation (IFC)
The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
The International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)
Finland
The Netherlands
Denmark
Pakistan

BDF Previous Events

BDF 2018
BDF 2015
BDF 2010