Human Development Index

Bangladesh�s position unchanged

For the next stage of growth, we need to switch from replication to innovation in terms of productivity increase and skill development Prof Wahiduddin Mahmood

Bangladesh’s position in Human Development Index (HDI) has remained unchanged this year compared to last year according to 2015 Human Development Report, launched by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at the NEC Conference Room, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital, yesterday.
According to the “Work for Human Development” report Bangladesh’s HDI value for 2014 is 0.570.
Bangladesh ranked 142 out of 188 countries in the Human Development Index (HDI), a position unchanged from last year, while neighbouring India ranked at 130, Nepal at 145 and Pakistan at 147. Two other South Asian countries—Bhutan and Afghanistan—are holding 136th and 169th positions respectively.
The Report – Work for Human Development - argues that for better life outcomes, policies should encapsulate all types of work including care, creative and voluntary work that are also important for human development and should pay particular attention to sustainability.
“In order to ensure that the work-force is capable of adapting to rapidly changing demands, the governments need to make strategic investments into education and health care”, said Haoliang Xu, assistant administrator and director of UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific.
According to the report, Bangladesh has shown a positive trend in Human Development for the last couple of decades with an average annual increase of about 1.55 per cent.
The report also said that despite extremely rapid technology adoption in recent years, as of 2014, 2.5 billion people in Asia and the Pacific did not have access to the internet (1.4 billion people in South Asia).
The unconnected people are typically among the poorest and most disadvantaged. Wide access to technology, through South-South cooperation and other technology transfer arrangements, matched with relevant skills, improved financial inclusion and reduction of other barriers would help the region move to sustainable development pathways.
While acknowledging the central role of the Asia and the Pacific region in the process of globalisation in the 1990s, the HDR 2015 notes that trends in outsourcing and off shoring of service jobs are changing in the region, with higher skills and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) proficiency in demand. It also points that youth unemployment in Asia ranges between 8.7 per cent in Bangladesh and 28.7 per cent in Iran. Hence, fostering education, skills and entrepreneurship can facilitate a necessary labour market transformation. Access to ICTs can help people develop marketable skills and secure quality work opportunities to narrow inequalities.
Selim Jahan, director, human development report office and the lead author of HDR 2015,
presented some key findings of the report at the launch event. “In a changing world, enhancing human development through work requires holistic policy interventions. Unless action is taken, many people, particularly those already marginalized, might be left behind,” Jahan highlighted during the event.
Speaking at launch of the report, “It is encouraging to find synergies between National Development Plan and recommendations from HDR 2015 which is very relevant for us. The key task is to translate those policy recommendations into actions,” said chief guest of the event, Senior Secretary Mohammad Mejbahuddin, Economic Relations Division.
Discussing on the policy implications for Bangladesh, renowned economist Prof Wahiduddin Mahmood said, “Bangladesh’s economic growth so far has been driven by a “replication approach — in respect of low- productivity ready-made garment export, export of low-skilled labour, and expansion of micro-enterprises. As also indicted in the HDR 2015, for the next stage of growth, we need to switch from replication to innovation in terms of productivity increase and skill development.”

Human Development Index

Bangladesh�s position unchanged

For the next stage of growth, we need to switch from replication to innovation in terms of productivity increase and skill development Prof Wahiduddin Mahmood

Bangladeshs position in Human Development Index (HDI) has remained unchanged this year compared to last year according to 2015 Human Development Report, launched by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at the NEC Conference Room, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital, yesterday. According to the Work for Human Development report Bangladeshs HDI value for 2014 is 0.570. Bangladesh ranked 142 out of 188 countries in the Human Development Index (HDI), a position unchanged from last year, while neighbouring India ranked at 130, Nepal at 145 and Pakistan at 147. Two other South Asian countriesBhutan and Afghanistanare holding 136th and 169th positions respectively. The Report Work for Human Development - argues that for better life outcomes, policies should encapsulate all types of work including care, creative and voluntary work that are also important for human development and should pay particular attention to sustainability. In order to ensure that the work-force is capable of adapting to rapidly changing demands, the governments need to make strategic investments into education and health care, said Haoliang Xu, assistant administrator and director of UNDPs Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific. According to the report, Bangladesh has shown a positive trend in Human Development for the last couple of decades with an average annual increase of about 1.55 per cent. The report also said that despite extremely rapid technology adoption in recent years, as of 2014, 2.5 billion people in Asia and the Pacific did not have access to the internet (1.4 billion people in South Asia). The unconnected people are typically among the poorest and most disadvantaged. Wide access to technology, through South-South cooperation and other technology transfer arrangements, matched with relevant skills, improved financial inclusion and reduction of other barriers would help the region move to sustainable development pathways. While acknowledging the central role of the Asia and the Pacific region in the process of globalisation in the 1990s, the HDR 2015 notes that trends in outsourcing and off shoring of service jobs are changing in the region, with higher skills and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) proficiency in demand. It also points that youth unemployment in Asia ranges between 8.7 per cent in Bangladesh and 28.7 per cent in Iran. Hence, fostering education, skills and entrepreneurship can facilitate a necessary labour market transformation. Access to ICTs can help people develop marketable skills and secure quality work opportunities to narrow inequalities. Selim Jahan, director, human development report office and the lead author of HDR 2015, presented some key findings of the report at the launch event. In a changing world, enhancing human development through work requires holistic policy interventions. Unless action is taken, many people, particularly those already marginalized, might be left behind, Jahan highlighted during the event. Speaking at launch of the report, It is encouraging to find synergies between National Development Plan and recommendations from HDR 2015 which is very relevant for us. The key task is to translate those policy recommendations into actions, said chief guest of the event, Senior Secretary Mohammad Mejbahuddin, Economic Relations Division. Discussing on the policy implications for Bangladesh, renowned economist Prof Wahiduddin Mahmood said, Bangladeshs economic growth so far has been driven by a replication approach in respect of low- productivity ready-made garment export, export of low-skilled labour, and expansion of micro-enterprises. As also indicted in the HDR 2015, for the next stage of growth, we need to switch from replication to innovation in terms of productivity increase and skill development.