A review of 2014: Bangladesh Braces for Progress and Prosperity

After taking oath of office in 2014, the Awami League led government devised numerous initiatives which yielded major uplifts in the progress of the nation.

Rising GDP and economic miracles

• Economic expansion accelerated dramatically. Spectacularly, economic growth rate reached 6.2%, with a good possibility of the figure going up to 7.2%. In 2014, per capita income increased to US$ 1200 from US$1054 in the previous year. Globally, Bangladesh emerged among one of the top five countries having fastest growing economy.
• The country witnessed a landmark achievement in pulling people out of poverty. The rate of poverty stricken people brought down below 24%.
• Foreign currency reserve hit all time record high at US$22.39.
• Country’s people aged 60 or above were given recognisiton of “Senior Citizen”. Around BDT 1.5 crore was allocated in a bid to provide country’s senior citizens with health, accommodation and transport facilities on higher priority basis at affordable costs.
• Income revenue raised 8.35%. In the last fiscal year, Bangladesh maintained a stable foreign exchange rate.
• The country witnessed a significant drop in the inflation rate. The rate of inflation fell to 6.97% from 8.06%.
• Target, in fiscal year 2012-13, was set to accomplish as many as 239 projects under the Annual Development program. Of them, 239 projects were completed. Last fiscal year, US$7.6 billion, 93.11%of the ADP, spent in the works of development activities.
• Riding on the back of visionary government polices, tax collection has been doubled and miraculous expansion of trade and commerce took place over the last five years. Within one year of assuming power, the government oversaw tax collection reaching a whooping US$7.75 billion. In 2013-14, it jumped to US$ 11.34 billion this year, the collection is expected to hit US$ 15.25 billion
• Indicating an improvement in the country's economic efficiency and sophistication, Bangladesh has moved one notch up in the latest Global Competitiveness Report of the World Economic Forum. The country secured 109th place, up from last year's 110th, according to the report 2014–2015.
• Bangladesh has moved one notch up to the 142nd place in the Human Development Index (HDI) among 187 countries for its progress in health, education. In the report, all the SAARC member states including India did not make any progress.
• Over the last five years, a revolution in mobile banking sector took place in the country. The number of mobile banking users crossed 1.5 crore. Every day, mobile banking transaction reached BDT 250 crore, around 5.6% of the total GDP. Payment of house utility bills goes digital.
• Currently, Bangladesh holds seventh place in the table of easy mobile banking service.
• Bangladesh is safer than its neighbors including India, according to different peace index. In the Global peace Index 2014, the country secures 98th position among 162 countries. Moreover, the Institute for Economic and Peace in its report commented the sate of peace as “medium”, securing the country 98th position among 162 countries.
• Momentous strides were put in the pursuit to attain Millennium Development Goals. Among the SAARC nations, Bangladesh was ranked second for making astonishing progress. Halving the number of poor people, tackling hunger, miraculous progress in the health sector—are the coherent instances of success the country made.
• Bangladesh has done better than most South Asian countries in social progress, according to a report by Washington-based organisation Social Progress Imperative. Ranked 99 among 132 countries, Bangladesh has scored higher than India, Pakistan and Nepal.
• Robust endeavor in the promotion of renewable energy has created employment opportunities. Till 2013, over 1 lakh people were employed for setting up, maintaining and distribution of solar plants. In 2003, the county had less than 25 thousand solar plants. Now, as many as 21 lakh solar plants were set up in Bangladesh.
• Astonishing progress in the MDG accomplishment earned Bangladesh three international prizes. The county is on right track to achieve 10 MDG target.
• A taskforce has been formed to integrate concerned offices to eliminate militancy and finding out financial sources.
• To the world, Bangladesh is a success story for making progress in social index. UNCTAD and UN reports shed positive light on the country. Among the Least Developed county, the per capital income in Bangladesh saw highest rise while the country was ranked 54 in the human development index.

A Year of biggest education success story

• Like previous years, around 44 lakh primary and secondary level students are expected to get over 32 crore free textbooks on the very first day of 2015. For the first time, visually impaired students get copies of new books in brail.
• Between 2010 and 2014, the government oversaw free distribution of over 134 crore new text books.
• Number of female students at Secondary level is the highest in Bangladesh among the SAARC nations.
• Presently, the rate of primary school bound children reached 100%. Around 27 lakh students getting benefits under the school feeding program.
• Gender parity ensured in educational institutions.
• In an effort to ensure cent percent enrolment at primary level, 78 lakh primary students were provided with stipends. At secondary level, stipends awarded to 40 lakh students. In 2014, government is preparing a list of 78 thousand more tertiary level students for the program.

Better days for women, better vision for nation

• The government substantially narrowed down gender gap by ensuring equality of opportunity for women in education, workplace and economy. To the world, Bangladesh stands one of the top ten countries in terms of ensuring empowerment of women. Proof of this is evident in Global Gender Gap Report 2014 prepared by World Economic Forum. Bangladesh moved up by seven notches, placing itself in the 68th place among the 142 countries surveyed in terms of ensuring gender parity.
• Bangladesh got its first female public university vice-chancellor (VC) through the appointment of Prof Farzana Islam at Jahangirnagar University.
• Khaleda Ekram, a professor of architecture, has been appointed the first female vice chancellor of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet).
• The government oversaw formulation of National women Development Policy while it passed a law to prevent violence against women in 2010.
• Ensured gender sensitivity budgeting in 40 ministries.
• In the national parliament, reserved seats for women increased to 50. At local government level, women have one third reserved seats. That initiative has yielded a rapid increase of women representatives at national and local level.
• At present, the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, Speaker are all women. Moreover, the country witnessed growing number of women employment among the Justices of the Supreme Court, top positions of the administration – secretaries, additional secretaries, joint secretaries, deputy commissioners, top positions of police, armed forces and UN peacekeepers, indicating improvement in women’s empowerment.

People living longer in Bangladesh

• The country continued to cut down the under five children mortality and infant mortality ratio. In terms of under five mortality rate, 41 children died per thousand live births in 2013. The mortality was 54 children (per 1,000 in 2008. Bangladesh is one of top performers in slashing maternal mortality too.
• Among the SAARC nations, Bangladesh, only second to Srilanka, has performed the best in increasing life expectancy. Now the country boasts of average Life expectancy at 69.4 years, up from 66.8 years in 2008.
• Bangladesh has been a star performer in slashing child death.
• At present, annual population growth rate came down at 1.36% from 1.37% in 2011.
• Quality family planning led to a staggering rise in use of contraceptives. Now, the rate stands at 62.2%, up from 58.3% in 2011.
• 98.3 percent country people have the access to tube well and taps supply water. The rate of using safe toilet is 63.8%.
• The government appointed 6, 151 doctors in healthcare centers, highest ever in a single day since the independence.
• First ever bone marrow/stem cell transplant being conducted on a blood cancer patient at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).
• In terms of ensuring primary health care service, Bangladesh became a model for rest of the world since the community health care service was launched. Over 90 lakh people are taking round the clock service from as many as 12.557 community clinics and 3,881 union health complexes. Up to March, 2014, 33 different types of medicines worth TK 5,00 crore have been distributed free of cost. Over 27 crore people are provided with special health care while around 60 lakh serious patients got supervision of doctors on time. Community clinics have been instrumental in taking care of mother and children health. Currently, more than 300 clinics offer facilities of natural child birth.
• Introduction of a special treatment for children with heart diseases. A cardiac lab has been set up at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).
• Taking a momentous feat forward, Bangladesh vaccinated 82 percent children, highest in the South Asian nations.
• Bangladesh was certified polio free by WHO.
• Comparing to India, Nepal and other neighboring states, Bangladesh offers better access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation facilities, according to a report jointly commissioned by WHO and Unicef.

High tech agriculture help Bangladesh achieve food sufficiency

• Bangladesh became self reliant on food production. Rice stock edged up to a new high at 11.3 lakh tonnes while the government reserved around 26.7 tonnes of wheat, indicating a three-fold increase in the production. Surplus of rice increased to 7.6 million metric tonnes. In 2008-09, rice production went to 31.32 MT. For the last three consecutive years, the production reached all time record high of 33 million MT.
• Gone are the days of Monga (seasonal and localised famine). This year, overall food grain production shot up to 3.68 croer.
• On the international stage, Bangladesh is now the fourth highest paddy producing country. Persistent bumper yield of rice stopped the country from importing rice in the last five year. Hector wise production of rice wheat and maize has crossed the global average growth.
• Bangladesh is now an example for multiple cropping in a single land.
• The country stands well above its annual food grain consumption requirement of less than three crore tonnes.
• With an annual growth rate of 4.5 tonnes, the country crossed the global average growth.
• Production of potato edged up to 6.98 tonnes, suppressing the global growth rate of 5.12 ton.
• The country became one of the top ten highest potato producing countries as it produced 85 lakh ton this year.
• According to a latest report of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Bangladesh is now the fourth major fish producing country in the world. Steady growth in inland fish production from 0.75 MT to 3.5 million MT in last three decades helped Bangladesh achieve the status. Ensuring protection of Hilsa fries and other initiatives, production of the country's national fish has gone up from 52,000 tons to 350,000 tons.
• Bangladesh has been ranked 57th in 2014 Global Hunger Index (GHI), showing improvement in hunger level along with nine other countries. According to the index, the country reduced hunger more significantly than any other South Asian countries. Over the last year, the production of rice and wheat has increased by 3 percent.
• The Awami League led government has set up first-ever call centers aiming to make the cultivation related information easily accessible to the farmers. From any corner of the country, anyone can dial 16123 to get information related to agriculture round the clock.
• Bangladesh has been a success story in developing rice verities that can offset adverse impact of climate change. To this end, as many as 81 high yield rice verities have been engineered. Of them, two are drought tolerant verities, nine can fight slat and four are flood tolerant. Moreover, Bangladeshi researchers developed the first ever zinc enriched rice variety.
• In 2013-14, Agricultural Ministry has allocated US$ 167 million to speed up 81 development projects. A whooping US$1.54 billion was disbursed for the promotion of agriculture.
• In a landmark feat, the present government has revamped the entire fertilizer distribution chain to ensure easy distribution to the farmers. Around 34 thousand retail fertilizer distributors were appointed. At least one distributor is available at every upazila level. The government embarked on a project to provide subsidy to mechanized the farming system. Due to subsidy, prices of seeds and fertilizers alongside the irrigation cost kept within an affordable prize. Farmers require TK 10 to open a bank account. The average disbursement of agriculture loan rose to BDT TK 14 thousand crore per year.
• In line with the National Agriculture Policy, the National Agriculture Extension Policy-2014 and National Micro-Irrigation Policy-2014 were formulated.

Safety net plan cuts poverty nearly in half

• The government has devised 128 programmes aiming to guarantee a resolute social security for the citizens. To that end, the annual allocation was announced at US$3.84 billion.
• Never seen before social safety net plan appeared a decisive one in pushing up national income and tightening social security. People who were incorporated under the policy have marked their per capita income edged up to 28%. Moreover, such a visionary plan leads to the advancement of women and poverty stricken children.
• “One house, one farm”, was another remarkable policy undertaken by the government. Between 2010 and 2013, over 10.3 lakh families form seventeen thousand villages were economically empowered under the programme. A development fund worth US$ 166.5 million was created. A US$ 112.5 million investment has resulted into turning around lives of 6.8 lakh poor families.
• As many as 28,619 people received financial assistances worth BDT 199 crore from Prime minister’s special relief and welfare fund, since 2009.
• A fiver year forestation plan undertaken by concerned ministry between 2009 and 2014 marked good progress. To that goal, 7.18 crore siblings were disbursed while block gardens over 81,514 hectare of land and strip forests covering 14,708 kilometers were created across the country.
• Around BDT 200 crore has been allocated for the climate change trust fund. As of now, a total of 16 forestation programmes have been launched. Of the 16, major strides were made in 8 projects.
• Tree plantation boosted up along the shoal and costal embankments stretched over 7000 kilometers for protecting people from tidal surges. So far, a total of 1.44 crore saplings were planted and the forestation programme covered around 4, 971 hector of lands. Prime Minister provided financial assistance to make this miraculous task done.
• Fast Track Progress in mega projects
• After more than six decades, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) added a new vessel to its fleet with an aim of improving passenger service. Built at local shipyard, MV Bangali, is now in operation. The second new watercraft MV Modhumoti is likely to join the fleet soon.
• Construction of nine ferries and seven landing pontoons were completed. By the end of 2015, eight more ferries and a new pontoon will be constructed. Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) goes digital. Introduction of the vehicle tracking system has helped monitoring the movement of water vessels.
• The much awaited Dhaka elevated express way construction work is expected to kick off soon. The deadline has been set for 2018. At present, the land acquisition work is going on full swing for building this 47 kilometer long expressway at a cost of BDT 9,000 crore. Once being constructed, the first ever express way will give commuters a respite from the heavy traffic in the capital.
• Acquisition of required land has been going on into three phases. The route starts from Shahjalal International Airport and runs along the rail alignment through Mohakhali, Tejgaon, Moghbazar and Kamalapur Railway Station. It then touches Golapbagh, south of Kamalapur stadium and east of Jatrabari before connecting Dhaka-Chittagong Highway near Kutubkhali.
• Digitization of the Mongla Port led it to become a profitable one.
• Since 2009, six waterbuses, four sea trucks, 2 landing pontoons and two ships have been constructed, taking the total number of newly introduced water vessels to 30.
• The upgradation of the Dhaka-Chittagong highway to four lanes is on progress. The government schemed future plans to turn it into a six lane one. Land acquisition has been completed for setting up double lines on the Dhaka Chittagong railway. Required land was acquired to build the Chittagong-Coxs bazaar railway.
• After going through a lot of hurdles, the $3 billion dollar self-financed Padma Bridge project finally kicked off last year. So far the project marked 16 percent progress in constructing approach roads, rehabilitation and development of the project area. Full swing construction activities going on both banks of the Padma river. Very large cranes have been deployed to lift heavy construction equipment. Large machineries were being used to fill up sands and soil and brick chips for road construction and expansion work. A total of 2,403 hectors of land has been handed over to the respective ministry.

Expansion of mass media

• Formulation of the National Broadcast policy in consultation with all the stakeholders.
• In last five years, the government issued license to 32 private TV channels. 12 FM Radio stations and 32 community radio stations got permission. Those radio stations updates people on weather, prices of necessary commodities all the time. A total of 14 community radios including a state run one have been activated so far.
• The national parliament, this year, passed a bill aimed at ensuring welfare of the insolvent, wounded and sick journalists and the families of deceased media people. Moreover, the information ministry has been offering financial assistance to rehabilitate insolvent journalists and their families since 2011. Between 2012 and 2013, the government donated BDT 1.50 crore while this year the donation allocation reached to 1.10 crore.
• The efforts of over 2.5 lakh people finally paid off as Bangladesh has been listed in the Guinness World Records for an event where the largest number of people sang the national anthem together. The Guinness World Records made the announcement on its official stating: "The most people singing a national anthem simultaneously is 2,54,537".

Soaring consumer confidence points to Bangladesh resilience

• Export advanced 23.22 percent in December 2013, from the previous month to take total earning of the year to $29.1 billion, the highest in the nation's history, in spite of the political turmoil at home and image crisis faced by the chief export grosser, the garment sector.
• In last year, a total of 189 factory inspectors have been recruited to fulfill the conditions of an action plan provided by the US, in an effort to win back trade privileges from the Obama administration.
• Bangladesh was ranked first in terms of cost competitiveness in outsourcing services. The country has been recognised by a US company as the 26th best destination for IT outsourcing globally. AT Kearney, a leading management consultancy firm with offices in more than 40 countries, has for the first time included Bangladesh in its Top 50 Global Services Location Index.
• In 2012-13, the total cost of the social safety net programme jumped to 26,645 crore. Introduction of information and technology in the agriculture sector has increased the food grains production.
• In Bangladesh, consumer confidence jumped a whopping 25.9 points in the first half of 2014 to 66.4 points from the previous six months, according to the MasterCard Worldwide Index of Consumer Confidence.
• Bangladesh's trade confidence rose sharply, by 38 points in six months which is the second highest among 23 countries globally. The jump was due to growing demand for its garments from Western buyers and the recent initiatives aimed at making the country's apparel factories safer, according to a survey. HSBC's latest Trade Confidence Index, showed that Bangladesh's score increased to 141 in the first half of 2014, from 103 in the second half of 2013.
• Inflows of foreign direct investment into Bangladesh rose 24 percent year-on-year to $1.6 billion in 2013. FDI inflows increased 13.75 percent to $1.29 billion in 2012, compared to the previous year, according to United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).The World Investment Report of the UNCTAD, released yesterday, shows Bangladesh is placed as a distant second favoured investment destination in South Asia after India, which got $28 billion or 78 percent of the total FDI inflows into the region in 2013.

Bangladesh becoming a complete power hub

• Now 68 percent people of the country have access to electricity. In last six years, electricity generation increased by 5,399 Megawatt.
• 34 lakh new subscribers got electricity while 1,331 kilometers new power lines created
• Since 2009, 69 new power plant have been constructed
• Power generation capacity reached 11MWT. On last 18 July, the country witnessed electricity production hit 7418 MWT, highest daily production of power till date.
• In 2014, capacity of country’s gas production rose to 2,450 million cubic feet, up form 1,744 million cubic feet in 2009. Such an increase was made possible due to government’s visionary policies.
• Till date, the quantity of extractable gas reserve is 27.07 trillion cubic feet from so far discovered 26 gas fields. As of June, 2014, the country extracted 12.14 trillion cubic feet gas.

Remarkable improvement in Rail service

• As many as 84 intercity and mail trains have been introduced on different routes while the routes of 24 trains were extended.
• The government undertook different polices to boost up railway services to the people. Aimed at transporting people quickly over short distances, the government procured 20 Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (Demu) trains also known as commuter trains. The commuter trains have started plying on different rail tracks.
• The digitization process of railway is on course.
• A new intercity train has been launched on the Mymansing and Chittagong route.

Stunted labour and remittance flow

• Around 90 lakh Bangladeshi citizens are staying in different parts of the country which took the country’s remittance inflow reaching US$ 61.90 billion.
• As many as 24.52 lakh country people left the country taking overseas jobs between 2009 and 2013. Of them, 1.74 lakh are female workers.
• In 2013, 12 more labour wings were opened, taking the total number to 28.
• Around four lakh Bangladeshi workers in Saudi Arabia will got their status legalised through taking advantage of a general amnesty granted to foreign workers. The amnesty, declared on May 10, allows irregular foreign workers to have their status legalised or return home without facing any penal.

Digital Bangladesh turning into a reality before 2021

• The country has made major strides in achieving its vision of Digital Bangladesh and there is a likelihood that it could make the vision a reality before the 2021 deadline. Digital centres in 4,547 union parishads, 321 municipalities, and 407 wards in 11 city corporations have already been set up. Around 10,000 young ICT entrepreneurs have become self-reliant in the 4,547 union digital centres. As a result, time and money of the people had been saved and the entrepreneurs earned Tk 140 crore. The digital centres provide 60 kinds of public and private services, including computer trainings, land registrations, public exam results, government form downloads, birth and death registrations, online university admissions, employment information, and mobile banking. The centres have already served people 12 crore times with services like registration of seven crore births, and more than 20 lakh overseas job-seekers have had services from the digital centres. Computer training to over 1 lakh youths and girls.
• 7 crore online birth registration. Fresh internet connections were offered to 4.84 crore. 11.84 crore number of mobile users in the country. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina unveiled the long-awaited 3G service.
• The government launched the national web portal containing 25,043 sites of government bodies in various tiers. Introduction e-office at different government offices.
• Due to the digitization, the country now has an earning of US$ 125 million. Five years ago, the income was US$25 million. The government efforts have yielded the five-fold increase.
• According to a report by an international mobile research and development body called mobiforge, Bangladesh tops the list of mobile users in South Asia followed by Pakistan and India. The research report further says that for the first time Bangladesh has been included in the 100 million users' club of fourteen countries. The sheer number of mobile users in Bangladesh, being 75% of its population, reflects a huge stride taken in ownership of a powerful communication device.

Healing the Hidden Wounds of Liberation War

• The government honored war heroines with the title of Birangana. The monthly allowance for freedom fighters has been raised to BDT 5,000 from BDT 2,000.
• The ongoing war crimes trial has taken Bangladesh a step forward towards establishing rule of law in the country. The trial has put an end to the culture of impunity and brought justice to the bereaved families, and also freed the nation of its stigma.
• With an iron hand, the government tackled fundamentalism.
• Imposition of quota in government services for the children and grandchildren of freedom fighters.

Spreading Islamic values

• Islamic Foundation goes digital.
• The government has implemented a massive programme titled “Islam fights against militancy, rise of terrorism and other social stigma” with an aim of crating awareness. Inclusion of computer training courses in the syllabus of training academy of Imams. 7,000 imams were given computer based training. A countrywide mosque centric mass education project is on course spending BDT 786 crore. That ongoing programme has resulted in to 40 lakh mosque bound children and created employment opportunities 40,000 Alem-Olamas.
• The government introduced digital version of the holy Al Quran including the Arabic, English and bangle version. The process of setting up an Arabic university is ongoing. 1,000 madrass got new academic buildings. The government launched honours courses in 80 madrasas. First ever scholarship scheme was introduced for the students completing Ibtedayi (primary) level. This year, 5,000 and 10,000 students got stipends into two categories upon successful completion of Ibtedayi level.
• The government made better arrangements for the Hajj pilgrims. A total of 98, 605 muslim pilgrims form the country ended their annual Hajj.

Momentous Feat achieved towards attaining “Forces Goal -2030”

• Aiming to achieve the “Forces Goal-2030”, the government already procured fourth generation MBT-2000 tanks, multi-launcher rocket, weapon-locating radar. Others include radars, tanks, various types of aircraft, helicopters, missiles, frigates, survey ships and self-propelled guns. The army also got 44 tanks, three armed recovery vehicles (ARV) and two weapon-locating radars from China while 184 three-tonne capacity Japanese lorries, 275 armed personnel carriers (APC), 15 ARV ambulances and 113 tank destroyer equipment (ATGW) from Russia. It also got two helicopters from France and 18 self-propelled guns from Serbia.
• Given the importance of maritime boundary, the government has put the highest importance on equipping the navy with new frigates, patrol ships, warships, missiles and maritime aircraft in the last four and a half years.
• Two frigates, two new small warships, two large patrol ships and five patrol craft were procured from China. Two radars and fire control systems and 50 missiles (C-704) were procured. .
• In addition, two Italy-made maritime helicopters and five MK-2 missiles, two German-made maritime aircraft and three ships made by the UK were added to the navy force.
• The navy is also hoping to be equipped with two submarines by 2016.
• The air force got 16 F-7 BG1 planes from China and three MI-171SH helicopters from Russia. It also got SHORAD, an air defence system, overhauling facilities for F-7 planes, PL-9C missiles for F-7 plane, four air defence radars and overhauling of MIG-29 planes during the time.
• Bangladesh has again emerged first for contributing the highest number of troops to the UN peacekeeping missions across the globe.
• The number of female officers in armed forces is 1,425.
• During the tenure of the Awami League led government, for the very first time in the history of Bangladesh, two female officers of Bangladesh Air Force were commissioned as combat pilots at BAF Base Bir Sreshto Matiur Rahman. The commissioned pilots are Flight Lieutenant Nayma Haque and Flying Officer Tamanna-E-Lutfy.

Outpouring of international recognition

• Bangladesh was awarded with the prestigious ‘Global ICT Excellence Award’ in the category of ‘Public Sector Excellence’ for outstanding contribution in social development of the nation using IT.
• International Telecommunication Union, a UN body on telecom, awarded Bangladesh for its efforts to increase use of internet in rural areas with the help of its Access to Information (A2I) Programme.
• Bangladesh has been re-elected to the administrative council of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for 2015-2018.
• Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been nominated for the "South-South Cooperation Visionary Award" for her role in advancing Bangladesh towards digital system and expansion of education. Adviser to the prime minister on Information and Communication Technology Sajeeb Wazed Joy has received the award of the United Nations on behalf of his mother.
• Bangladesh became a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the period of 2015-17.
• Bangladesh was elected as a member of the executive board of the United Nations Children Fund (Unicef) for the next three years (2015-18) through voting at the UN headquarters. This achievement has been possible because of the development of women and children during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government.
• Bangladesh Navy Captain Moeen Uddin Ahmed was elected director general of International Mobile Satellite Organisation (IMSO).
• Awami League lawmaker Saber Hossain Chowdhury has been elected president of the Intra-Parliamentary Union (IPU) for the next three years.
• Speaker of national parliament Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury has become the first Bangladeshi to be elected the chairperson of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).
• Bangladesh won an election to become a member of the UN Human Rights Council after a fierce battle.
• Bangladesh received “full membership” of an Asian forum that works to enhance cooperation for peace, security and stability in the region
• Dhaka has unanimously been elected as the president of the Bureau of South-South Cooperation (SSC) for the next two years.
• UNESCO honored Sheikh Hasina for her outstanding contributions to girls and women education by awarding her with a ‘Tree of Peace’
• United Nations Association and Better World Organisation jointly awarded Bangladesh for its contribution towards UN peacekeeping missions.
• Bangladesh has been made the chair of the UN Credentials Committee for the 69th General Assembly and the 29th Sspecial Session.