Finance and Planning Adviser to the Prime Minister Dr. Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir on Friday has called for establishing an international mechanism for debt restructuring, debt relief, debt suspension and sustainable debt solutions.
He said the mechanism would help developing countries address mounting fiscal pressures caused by the Middle East crisis and other global shocks.
Dr. Titumir made the call during a meeting with UNICEF Deputy Executive Director for Humanitarian Action and Supply Operations Ted Chaiban at UNICEF House in New York.
The meeting was also attended by State Minister for Planning Zonayed Saki, according to a press release issued on Saturday by the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the United Nations.
The Adviser said that such measures would enable developing countries to sustain investment in children, women, education, health and social protection while keeping progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on track.
Dr. Titumir said rising energy prices, supply chain disruptions and growing debt burdens had significantly narrowed Bangladesh's fiscal space.
Despite these challenges, he said the government remained committed to protecting vulnerable populations and advancing its vision of a democratic human welfare state under the "Bangladesh First" philosophy.
He reiterated the government's commitment to establishing a universal life-cycle-based social security system with women at the centre of development.
He said the proposed Family Card initiative would support women-led households and provide assistance during pregnancy, childhood, education, disability and old age.
State Minister for Planning Zonayed Saki stressed the need for reliable and integrated data systems to improve public service delivery.
He outlined the proposed "One Child, One Card, One Number and One Wallet" strategy to strengthen birth registration, school enrolment and access to government services.
The state minister also sought UNICEF's support for strengthening teachers' capacity through digital training and learning tools to improve education quality.
He said multilingual learning, sports, culture, museum visits and extracurricular activities were essential for children's holistic development.
Chaiban praised the government's efforts to protect vulnerable populations, particularly children and women, despite fiscal constraints.
He reaffirmed UNICEF's commitment to strengthening cooperation with Bangladesh in education, early childhood development, nutrition, social protection, teacher capacity-building and child-focused data systems.
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