‘Bangladesh should learn poverty reduction from China’

Bangladesh – taking lessons from China – should adopt well-designed plans with specific measures, and implement them within a certain timeframe to boost poverty alleviation in the country.

Addressing an international webinar titled “Poverty Eradication: Experiences from Bangladesh and China,” experts also emphasised the need for vocational education, training and building up human resources in line with industries’ demands.

Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni addressed the event as the chief guest, and Chinese Ambassador to Dhaka Li Jiming participated in the discussion. The webinar marks the declaration of a 25-member executive committee of Association of Bangladesh-China Alumni (ABCA), which has two years’ of tenure.

Dipu Moni said, “Bangladesh has been learning about poverty alleviation from its biggest development partner China, and at the same time, other countries are learning from our tremendous progress under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

“We appreciate China’s outstanding contribution in Bangladesh’s socio-economic and educational sectors. People usually speak about 46 years of diplomatic ties between Bangladesh and China, but friendship between the two nations goes back at least 2,000 years.”

In response to the observations of speakers, Moni said Bangladesh is focusing on technical and vocational education and training to build up more skilled human resources befitting the need of time.

At the webinar, Chinese Ambassador Li Jiming appreciated Sheikh Hasina’s strong leadership in alleviating poverty and ensuring development in Bangladesh, and acknowledged China’s role in the process.

He added, “Many Bangladeshi professionals in different arenas including health, education and engineering have achieved their higher degrees from China, and are now making significant contributions in their home country.

“I urge Bangladesh to adopt some well-designed plans with specific measures for poverty alleviation within a specific timeframe, as did China about four decades ago.”

Presenting the keynote, Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation’s (PKSF) Chairman Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman said, “The poverty level of both Bangladesh and China was almost the same in the 1970s. But China is now a poverty-free country.