SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS BANGLADESH PROGRESS REPORT 2020 General Economics Division (GED) (Making Growth Work for the Poor) Bangladesh Planning Commission Ministry of Planning Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh June 2020 Sustainable Development Goals: Bangladesh Progress Report 2020 SDGs Publication No. # 23 by GED Prepared and Published by General Economics Division (Government SDGs Focal Point) Bangladesh Planning Commission This document is prepared with the technical and financial ‘Strengthening Institutional Capacity for SDGs Achievement in Bangladesh (SC4SDG)’ Project of UNDP Bangladesh and UNEP-PEA. Copyright © General Economics Division, Bangladesh Planning Commission Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Block-14, Dhaka-1207 Copies Printed: 2000 Printed by turtle 01925-865364 67/D, Green Road, Dhaka, Bangladesh 2 BANGLADESH PROGRESS REPORT 2020 M. A. Mannan, MP Honourable Minister Ministry of Planning Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Message I would like to congratulate the General Economics Division (GED) of Bangladesh Planning Commission for publishing the second formal ‘Bangladesh Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Progress Report 2020,’ that aimed to review the progress made in implementation and achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by the country. The Government of Bangladesh has always been committed to implement the Global Goals and prepare progress monitoring reports to showcase the achievements of the country. In connection to this, Bangladesh has already prepared its first Voluntary National Review (VNR) in 2017 and Bangladesh Progress Report in 2018. Bangladesh is in the process to present its second VNR to the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in July this year and is going to organize second round of conference on SDGs Implementation Review (SIR) in 2020. Moreover, Bangladesh is preparing its 8th Five Year Plan (8FYP), the socio-economic development blueprint of the country. The success stories of SDGs implementation captured in this Bangladesh SDGs Progress Report 2020 will help preparing the SDGs components of the 8FYP and assist devising strategies for SDGs implementation in our flagship Plan document. I take this opportunity to thank relevant ministries/divisions, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and the broader stakeholders for providing valuable inputs in preparation of this publication of SDGs progress monitoring. I would also like to express my appreciation to the SC4SDG project of UNDP for providing financial support in preparing this important publication. I hope the SDGs Progress Report will be pivotal publication in illustrating advancement towards achieving the SDGs and challenges that the country might face in upcoming years. I hope the GED will take initiative to prepare and publish this progress report on SDGs implementation regularly so that comprehensive report on progress tracking can be made available for wider audience on a regular basis. (M. A. Mannan, MP) BANGLADESH PROGRESS REPORT 2020 3 Zuena Aziz Principal Coordinator (SDGs Affairs) Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Message I am pleased to learn that the General Economics Division (GED) of Bangladesh Planning Commission is publishing the “Sustainable Development Goals: Bangladesh Progress Report 2020”, which is the second document of its kind; the first one was published in 2018. Unlike the process to be followed, I hope the updated information of this document will serve to complement data analysis for preparing the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) of SDGs that Bangladesh is going to present at the High- Level Political Forum (HLPF) of Sustainable Development in July 2020 at the UN. Our Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is the Champion of SDGs. In the last four years, the SDGs have been aligned with the national planning strategies, Whole of the society approach being followed, Ministries/Divisions given responsibilities for SDGs implementation, National Action Plan finalized, Data gap analysis conducted, Monitoring and Evaluation Framework finalized, Financing strategy conducted, Online trackers inaugurated, and finally efforts are being taken to localize SDGs. The steps taken by the Government and their impacts are revealed by the fact that Bangladesh is on track in some of the targets of SDGs or has achieved the targets set for 2020 by the M&E framework of the Government. The Government of Bangladesh has constituted National Data Coordination Committee (NDCC) to identify data gaps, ensure the availability of quality data and coordinate among Ministries and Divisions to make data available for SDGs and monitor other international commitments. This process has improved the data available in the second progress report over the earlier one. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the officials of the General Economics Division (GED), Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, and the officials of all data producing agencies for proving updated data based on which the report is prepared. It is well recognized that a commendable achievement is the localization of the SDGs at the District and Upazila levels of Bangladesh. I would expect that in the next SDGs’ progress report, there would be one section on the implementation status of 39+1 indicators of the localization of SDGs in our country. It will incentivize for data collection and reporting at the local level and operationalize a process of accountability that is closer to the people. I wish everyone greetings of Mujib Year. (Zuena Aziz) 4 BANGLADESH PROGRESS REPORT 2020 Dr. Shamsul Alam Member (Senior Secretary) General Economics Division (GED) Bangladesh Planning Commission Prefatory Note The ‘Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Bangladesh Progress Report 2020’ is prepared and published by the General Economics Division (GED) of the Bangladesh Planning Commission with the inputs received from the National Statistical Office and different Ministries/Divisions/Agencies implementing various action programmes/projects. Bangladesh had completed the preparatory works of SDGs mainstreaming, implementation, making action plan, preparing monitoring and evaluation framework. The Government of Bangladesh has taken initiatives aiming all goals of SDGs through designated Ministry/Divisions in implementing SDGs aligning with the development aspiration of the respective ministries. National poverty measured as the proportion of population living below the national upper poverty line/lower poverty line has consistently been declined. According to recent estimates, it has declined to 20.5 per cent in 2019. In addition, the population below lower poverty line has also deceased to 10.5 per cent. The government has adopted policies and programmes to address multidimensional nature of poverty in the country including fostering accelerated, inclusive and resilient growth. Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in reducing the percentage of stunted children under-5 years by almost half from 60 per cent in 1996-97 to 28 per cent in 2019. The proportion of wasted children has gone down to 9.8 per cent in 2019 from 14 per cent in 2014. The proportion of underweight children under five years also reduced by half between 2007 (41 per cent) and 2019 (22.6 per cent). A continuous decrease has been observed in under 5 mortality rate (U5MR) during 1995-2019 from 125 to 40. The nation is in line in achieving the 2020 milestone for U5MR. Adolescent birth rate per 1,000 women in 15-19 age group has significantly declined from 144 in 1999 to 83 in 2019. The government is implementing the 4th Health, Population and Nutrition Sector Programme (HPNSP, 2018-2022). Primary school completion rate increased from 79.5 per cent in 2012-13 to 82.6 per cent in 2019. However, completion rate of lower secondary and upper secondary stood at 64.7 per cent and 29.4 per cent respectively in 2019. Bangladesh is ranked 50th out of 153 countries in 2019 in the Global Gender Gap Index. Furthermore, globally Bangladesh is the 7th ranked country in terms of women’s political empowerment. Bangladesh has been ahead of its South Asian neighbours for the fifth time consecutively, indicating significantly better performance in promoting women empowerment. BANGLADESH PROGRESS REPORT 2020 5 Bangladesh’s upward shift in the average annual growth rate of real GDP per capita to 6.91 per cent in FY2018-19 from 5.1 per cent in the baseline FY 2014-15 is noteworthy. However, there are significant uncertainties over the growth prospects due to the recent outbreak of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The government is persistently taking comprehensive measures for developing and flourishing the manufacturing sector. The contribution of the manufacturing sector in real GDP has been reached 24.21 per cent in FY2018-19 which was 17.75 per cent in FY2010-11. To modernize, develop and expand the country’s telecommunication system, various measures have been undertaken by the government. The total number of mobile phone subscriber is 15.75 crore in January 2019. The proportion of population covered by 2G mobile networks have reached close to 100 per cent, while the 2020 milestone has already been achieved in June 2019; with 3G technology and 4G coverage together reaching to 79 per cent in June 2019. The government is aware of the paucity of relevant data and has taken measures to generate timely and quality data and update data at required intervals. The Bangladesh SDGs Progress Report 2020 allows for adjustments to priorities and course corrections