Karachi: 31 October 2023:

Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Karachi arranged a seminar titled “Branding Bangladesh: The Development Journey of Bangladesh” at the Chancery on 31 October 2023. Around 50 persons were present at the session.

Deputy High Commissioner elaborated on the success stories of Bangladesh and mentioned that under the charismatic and dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh has become a ‘Role Model’ of socio-economic development in the world. Bangladesh is currently among the five fastest growing economies in the world, ranking 35^th in terms of GDP. He further added that Bangladesh has full filled all the criteria for the graduation to developing country from the LDC status and has been confirmed to be graduated from the LDC in 2026. The present per capita income of Bangladesh is USD2824.

Deputy High Commissioner further briefed that Bangladesh has completed or has been working on many mega projects such as the Padma Bridge, which is opened on 25 June 2022. The Padma Bridge is constructed with the own finance worth over US$3.8billion. He also mentioned few other mega projects such as the Dhaka Metro Rail (opened on 28 December 2022), Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Karnaphuli River Tunnel-the first ever under the river tunnel in South Asia (opened on 28 October 2023), first ever Elevated Expressway in Dhaka (opened on 02 September 2023), the 3^rd Terminal at Hazrat ShahJalal International Airport (opened on 07 October 2023), Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (the 33^rd Country in the world to produce to produce nuclear power), Construction of 564 Model Masjid and Islamic Cultural Centers across Bangladesh, Deep-Sea Port, Bangabandhu Satellite-1, distribution of free over 43 crore copies of free text books every year on 1^st of January and so forth.

Deputy High Commissioner S. M. Mahbubul Alam mentioned that Bangladesh has been achieving impressive socio-economic progress. Deputy High Commissioner added that Bangladesh the current primary enrollment rate is almost 100 percent, electricity coverage is 100 percent, and children vaccination is 100 percent. The literacy rate is around 80 percent. There are over 170 universities and 112 medical collages in Bangladesh. Bangladesh meets 97 percent of medicines produced by over 300 state-of-the-art pharmaceutical companies and exports to over 120 countries in the world. He further added that Bangladesh is 2^nd in RMG production and export. Over 15 million Bangladesh nationals live in over 180 countries and Bangladesh is 8^th in Remittance receipt amounting over US$25 billion a year. Bangladesh’s foreign currency reserve reached up to US$48billion. Total annual Exports of Bangladesh is over US$55 billion. Bangladesh has been working hard for the annual export of US$100 billion by 2030.

Deputy High Commissioner mentioned before the audience that Bangladesh will a trillion dollar Economy and the 9^th largest consumer market in the world by 2041. Government of Bangladesh has been striving hard to implement “Vision-2041” to turn Bangladesh into an upper middle-income country by 2031 and Developed and Smart Bangladesh by 2041 and building a prosperous and climate-resilient delta by 2100.

The audience was deeply impressed to listen about the outstanding development stories of Bangladesh and profoundly appreciated socio-economic development of Bangladesh.