In sync with the vision for Smart Bangladesh, an electoral pledge by Honourbale Prime Minister (HPM) Sheikh Hasina led government, the government has embarked on a mission to take the GDP growth at 6.75% for the next fiscal year despite the global headwinds emanating from global crises. This budget would feature a good number of initiatives that include ensuring food for all, improvement in food supply system, widening the coverage of the social safety nets, modernizing every village, ensuring digital health and education system, fast track infrastructure projects, facing the climate change impacts and global adversities. The , the priorities of the next budget will include returning the economy into its previous stable state, keeping the prices of commodities within the purchasing power of the common people and maintaining decent living standards by citizens.

Courting on the successful fulfillment of Digital Bangladesh, a vision coined and implemented by Awami League led government, Honourbale Prime Minister (HPM) Sheikh Hasina, has launched another new vision to transform the nation into “Smart Bangladesh” by 2041, emphasizing digital skills and digital IDs for its citizens. Central to this vision are four key pillars: Smart Citizens, Smart Economy, Smart Government, and Smart Society. By focusing on these areas, the government aims to ensure that at least 90% of citizens are digitally literate and 95% possess digital IDs. Sajeeb Wazed, ICT Affairs Advisor to the premier, has been instrumental in addressing the growing challenges ahead on the digital landscape that saw unprecedented gains manifested during the Covid pandemic while the target of Smart Bangladesh is to establish a digital eco system so that citizenry would reap all dividends of ICT sector in pursuit to transform the country into developed nation by 2041.

Building on previous years successes, the government rolled out a mammoth campaign to provide Vitamin A plus capsules among 20 million children across 10000 health care centres. According to media reports, children aged between 6 and 59 months are entitled for the free vaccination scheme. Around 2,00000 volunteers and 40,000 health workers took part to make the campaign a success. Vitamin A capsules help prevent night blindness and ensure nutrition. Additionally, vitamin A also significantly reduced deaths caused by measles, diarrhoea and pneumonia.

Describing Bangladesh as an important UN partner, its Secretary-General António Guterres said the country is making significant contributions to many UN programmes, including international peace and security, sustainable development, and addressing climate change. The honourable UN chief expressed gratitude for Bangladesh’s generosity towards the Rohingya people and voiced concern about the current situation in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, particularly the forced recruitment of young Rohingya men by the country’s military.During the bilateral meeting, the honourable UN chief commended Bangladesh’s ability to adapt to and cope with climate change. He assured the youngest nation in south asia of offering UN’s full support in this regard.

HPM Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh is one of the pioneers in the world in terms of coastal afforestation. “In the world, Bangladesh is one of the pioneers in coastal afforestation. As of now, the afforestation has been created in some 261,570 hectares in the coastal areas. We’ve created a green belt of 89,853 hectares since 2009,” she said. Moreover, in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 15 and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Bangladesh aims to achieve “Land Degradation Neutrality” by 2030. To this end, target has been set to expand the country’s tree cover from 22.37% to 25% of total land area by 2030, and boost the share of forests from 14% to 16%.

In response to United Nations, Bangladesh Air Force for the first time sent an Air Contingent on 21 September 1995 with two Bell-212 helicopters to UNIKOM (United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observer Mission) in Kuwait. Now decades down the line so far a total of six thousands 608 BAF peacekeepers completed 27 UN Mission across the world. In 2017 Bangladesh Air Force sent its two pioneer female pilot, Flight Lieutenant Nayma Haque (at present Squadron Leader) and Flight Lieutenant Tamanna-E-Lutfi for the first time in UN peacekeeping mission in DR Congo. Bangladesh Air Force has earned a very good reputation in the UN arena by displaying highly professional attitude, strict discipline, hard work and devotion to peacekeeping operations.

The government has approved two World Bank-funded projects for the displaced Rohingyas and host communities to improve their education, health, road and infrastructure. The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved the projects at a meeting chaired by Honourable Prime Minister (HPM) Sheikh Hasina. These projects primarily focus on the education, health, and socio-economic infrastructure development of the Rohingya population. Over a space of more than five years Bangladesh has been hosting the communities persecuted by Myanmer, thanks to a generous gesture by the premier.