Former chief justice M Tofazzal Islam, Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation chairman Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad and Bangladesh Economic Association president Abul Barkat and general secretary Jamaluddin Ahmed are seen at a seminar on 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development organised by BEA at Engineers Institution in Dhaka on Saturday. — New Age photo

Economists on Saturday said that both public and private sectors would have to work in a coordinated manner to achieve the sustainable development goals.
At a seminar on SDGs 2030, they said that Bangladesh succeeded in achieving the millennium development goals but the scope and areas of SDGs was much greater than that of MDGs.
Proper planning and coordination among the highest level of the government, local government and private sectors will help the country to meet the goals of SDGs, they said.
Bangladesh Economic Association organised the seminar at Engineers Institution in Dhaka.
Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation chairman Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad presented a keynote paper at the seminar presided over by BEA president Abul Barakat.
Kholiquzzaman said that everyone should be included in the implementation of SDGs to achieve the vision of the goals to establish equality in society.
The government will also have to move with own resources as foreign financial assistance would not flow in at expected level as promised by global leaders, he said.
Former chief justice M Tofazzal Islam, in his speech as chief guest, said that education should get special priority in implementation of SDGs as education could change the world.
He said that the goals such as education for all, social and economic rights and social justice set at the global agenda were the fundamental rights of people.
Barkat said that huge inequality was prevalence in social, economic and other areas in the country.
He said that SDGs would not be achieved amid prevailing inequality as only 1 per cent people holds 50 per cent of accumulated assets.
So, reduction of inequality should get top priority in programmes of SDGs, he added.
BEA general secretary Jamaluddin Ahmed, vice-presidents Md Abdul Hannan and AZM Saleh, Rajshahi University teacher Md Moazzem Hossain Khan, among others, spoke at the programme.