Bangladesh has topped the South Asian countries in gender equality for the third consecutive year, ranking 47th among 144 nations. It has also moved 25 notches up in the Global Gender Gap Report 2017 published by the World Economic Forum (WEF). The country was at the 72nd position among the same number of countries in last year's index. It was ranked 64th among 145 nations in 2015. Bangladesh, according to the report, has made progress across all dimensions of the economic opportunity and participation, secures the third spot among the lower-middle income countries.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has said Bangladesh is the champion against climate vulnerabilities. This was stated during his discussion with Bangladesh delegation to Amsterdam International Water Week. During the discussion, Bangladesh has urged its international partners, especially the member countries of the UN High Level Panel on Water (HLPW) and that of the Delta Coalition, to strengthen global cooperation on water and delta-related issues. The Dutch Primer acknowledged his close acquaintance with Sheikh Hasina's sincerity, commitment, and integrated actions in various social development activities in Bangladesh, reiterating his assurance to continue Dutch government's support to Bangladesh.

The newly appointed Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in Bangladesh, Mia Seppo lauded the government for its stellar performance in poverty reduction and women’s empowerment. The UN diplomat also pledged to work closely with the government in all of its development efforts, particularly in fulfilling the targets of Sustainable Development Goals as well as towards graduation of Bangladesh from LDC to middle income country. Over the space of last six years, the country, under the prudent leadership of HPM Sheikh Hasina has marked a significant progress in poverty reduction and eliminating hunger.

GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

The World Bank (WB) will provide credit worth US$ 457 million for financing two projects in Bangladesh to help develop private sector-led infrastructure and diversify exports. Of the loan, $357 million will be available for 'Investment Promotion and Financing Facility Project II (IPFF II)' for improving the capacity of local financial institutions. Besides, the WB will provide $100 million for 'Export Competitiveness for Jobs Project', which will help create 90,000 more jobs by focusing beyond the readymade garment sector and diversifying exports in other labor-intensive sectors like leather goods, footwear, plastics, and light engineering.

INFRASTRCTURE AND MEGA PROJECTS

Bangladesh is set to get 3,600 megawatts of electricity from a LNG-based power plant at Payra, the largest yet, as part of the government's efforts to give the economy the impetus needed to meet the growth aspirations. North-West Power Generation Co., an enterprise of Bangladesh Power Development Board, and Siemens yesterday signed a primary agreement for setting up the plant in Patuakhali. The estimated cost for the plant is $2.8 billion, of which $2.4 billion would come as loan and $400 million as equity, according to media reports. A total of three power units will be set up under the joint venture while the first two will go into operation in 2020 and the last one in 2021.

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EQUITY

Street children are progressively taking to the idea of keeping their hard-earned income in a bank, with the deposits in their accounts soaring more than 20% in the past year or so. As of June, the accounts held by street children had balance worth $31,000, up from $25,194 a year earlier, according to data from the Bangladesh Bank. The total number of accounts held by street children expanded 25.97% during the period to 4,365. On the other hand, the central bank has recently taken some initiatives to give a boost to the programme and brought more street children under banking services.

TRADE AND INVESTMENT

Foreign investment in stocks doubled year-on-year in the first 10 months of 2017 as overseas investors continue to show their trust in the market. Net position of foreign portfolio with the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) stood at $191 million in January-October, compared to $ 9 million in the same period a year ago. The steadily growing economy and matured market behaviour have been attributed to the growing interest among foreign individuals and institutions in investing in Bangladesh's stockmarket.

INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL COOPERATION

Bangladesh has expressed deep concern at the reported ballistic missile attack by the Houthi rebels, targeting the King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh. The attack was successfully intercepted by the Saudi air-defence forces. Bangladesh condemns such attacks that threaten the safety and security of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Bangladesh reiterates its commitment to stand by the government and the people of the Kingdom, which is the land of the two holy mosques.

DIGITAL BANGLADESH

Bangladesh will showcase its achievements in the ICT sector at the Digital World 2017 exhibition. The multi-facet expo will be providing a platform to establish network with the local and regional or global IT-ITES industry leaders and experts with a view to share their best practices and experiences. More than 200 spokespersons from top IT organisations including Google and Nuans will take part in different sessions of the exposition. The exhibition this year will be composed of expositions and elements like e-Governance Expo, Software Showcasing, more than 300 stalls and pavilions for IT Exposition, more than 24 seminars, conferences and policy dialogues, ICT Career Camp which will occupy various zones.