On the occasion of the International Conference organized jointly by Dhaka International University, South Asian Network for Public Administration, and IOM Bangladesh at Six Seasons Hotel, Gulshan, Dhaka on Wednesday 23 October 2024, the speakers at the “Meet the Press” event at Sagar-Rooney Auditorium at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) said, South Asia is one of the most populous regions in the world. The region is home to more than 25% of the world’s population. Economic growth is expected to grow faster than other territories, but the current growth rate here is just below 6%. Despite economic and social progress, the growth rate of the region is expected to be low as it is plagued with several structural problems. Analysis and dialogue are highly needed to solve this problem. They say it is almost impossible for public sector development agencies to single-handedly manage such a large sustainable development agenda. The international community has also emphasized a holistic approach to sustainable development. Implementation of this development plan is possible only through the partnership of state actors and development institutions and private sector. The 3-day long international conference is going to be held for the purpose of analysis and dialogue in this regard.
Barrister Shamim Haider Patwari, Chairman of Board of Trustees of Dhaka International University, President of South Asian Network for Public Administration and Professor of University of Alabama, USA, on behalf of the organizers at Meet the Press. Akhlaq Haque, Professor of Dhaka International University and President of Center for Policy Analysis and Advocacy. Md. Shariful Alam etc. spoke and answered questions.
Speakers said the main objective of this conference is to review the current situation in South Asia. As well as helping advance the agenda of sustainable development and social justice for the region’s progress.
The conference will include the concept of ensuring equity in overall development alongside economic growth and prioritizing social justice and overall improvement in quality of life. Discussions will provide a general picture of the current status of sustainable development and other issues at the conference which advocacy and research organizations can use as background information for their work.
250 academicians and scholars from 15 countries and 90 universities and institutions including Bangladesh will participate in the conference and will present their views on various issues including sustainable development. Apart from national level researchers, 40 foreign expert representatives will be present in this conference.
Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Niaz Ahmed Khan will attend the opening ceremony of this conference as the chief guest. Emeritus Professor Anees Chowdhury of Western Sydney University will present the keynote on “South Asia in Asian Century: SDGs and Beyond”. Professor SMA Faiz, chairperson of the University Management Commission, will be present at the closing ceremony of the conference.
It is to be noted that all issues will be discussed in this three-day international conference, one of them is ‘Effective institutions and accountable governance’, ‘Equality, diversity, Inclusion and social justice’, ‘Technology, strategic management and transformation of the public sector’, ‘Rohingya crisis, Migration, Human security and rights’, ‘Quality education for expanding social and economic opportunities’.
The speakers hope for the cooperation of all concerned, including the media, to make this joint endeavor a success.