Photo: JS

DHAKA, Sept 6, 2026 (BSS) - Speaker of  Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikrom, today said the country must ensure equal participation of women and men in the development process to turn its population into human resources and reap the benefits of the demographic dividend.

“Transforming our population into human resources remains one of our major challenges. We can move forward by utilizing the opportunities created by the demographic dividend. Women and men have equal roles in this regard,” he said.

The Speaker made the remarks while addressing a workshop as chief guest titled “Role of Parliament in Implementing Population Bonus, Sustainable Development Goals and ICPD Commitments” at the Parliament’s Oath-taking chamber.

The Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat organized the workshop under the SPCPD project.

Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal MP chaired the programme, while Parliament Secretariat Secretary Barrister Md Golam Sorwar Bhuiya delivered the welcome address.

Chief Whip Md. Nurul Islam Moni MP and UNFPA Bangladesh Representative Catherine Breen Kamkong addressed the programme as special guests, said a press release of parliament secretariat.

The Speaker said the people established their democratic rights through the latest national parliamentary election following the end of 15 years of authoritarian rule.

“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the government has taken necessary measures for the country, which are highly commendable,” he said.

He said parliament was working to reflect the hopes and aspirations of the people.

Hafiz Uddin Ahmad said Bangladesh still faces many challenges in preventing child marriage, eliminating gender-based violence, ensuring education for adolescent girls and preventing violence against women.

At the same time, he said, climate change was causing sea-level rise and increasing salinity in coastal areas.

He called upon members of parliament to raise awareness among people in their constituencies and undertake development initiatives to address these challenges.
Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal said Bangladesh could not view its population merely in numerical terms.

“We have to provide quality education to our population, ensure employment and transform them into human resources,” he said.

He said Bangladesh needed coordinated plans and effective measures to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Parliamentary activities should not remain confined to lawmaking; we also need to formulate policies and plans to resolve people’s problems,” he added.

Chief Whip Md. Nurul Islam Moni said the availability of natural resources alone could not ensure a country’s economic prosperity.
“The greatest asset of a country is its skilled and educated population,” he said, adding that Bangladesh should learn from the experiences of different countries and transform its large working-age population into skilled human resources.

He said a skilled, educated and productive population would remain the key force behind sustainable economic development.

UNFPA Bangladesh Representative Catherine Breen Kamkong said the Bangladesh government was cooperating with development partners by formulating people-centred policies to address climate change, protect the reproductive health of adolescents and ensure social protection for the population.

The Speaker also stressed the need to prevent violence against women.
Cabinet members, whips, parliament members, representatives of UNFPA and the SPCPD project, and senior officials of the Parliament Secretariat attended the workshop.