The country’s long-term development plan needs to include measures to remedy the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, a Planning Commission Member has acknowledged.
Nasima Begum also told a webinar on Saturday that it is possible to address the Covid fallouts when the yearly review of the Eighth Five Year Plan will be made.
Such review and inclusion of the required measures would allow the youth, a major victim of the pandemic, to tap the benefits of the long-term plan.
The Commission Member (Secretary) mentioned that the literature of the five-year plan was finalised before “we could realise the real social and economic harms caused by the pandemic”.
So, she thinks, it is necessary to review the literature following the challenges posed by the pandemic situation to achieve the targeted goals.
The official made the observations at the webinar titled "Reflection of Youth's Perspective in the 8th Five-Year Plan", jointly organised by SANEM and Action Aid Bangladesh.
She also put emphasis on having authentic data and their timely disclosure so that proper planning could be made for the youth development.
SANEM Executive Director Dr Selim Raihan, chairing the session, stressed the need for taking up a holistic policy approach harmonising social and economical policies to draw the demographic dividend Bangladesh is blessed with, thanks to the young population.
SANEM’s Senior Research Associate Eshrat Sharmin presented the keynote while its Senior Research Associate Ms Israt Hossain moderated the session.
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