'Formulate population development policy'

The country has achieved more successes than many other countries in the last ten years after the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), but more challenges are still lying ahead such as reproductive health, unwanted pregnancy, malnutrition and safe maternity, they said.

The Khan Foundation organised the workshop on 'ICPD+10: Bangladesh perspective' at a city hotel.

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A 20-year plan of action was taken at the ICPD held in Cairo in 1994.

"Bangladesh would be able to carry through the challenges within the next 10 years," said Health Minister Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain as chief guest.

Advocate Rokhsana Khondoker, executive director of Khan Foundation, presided over the workshop and Annemieke De Los Santos, deputy representative of UNFPA, was present as special guest.

Prof AKM Nurun Nabi, department of population Science, Dhaka University, presented the keynote paper.

Santos said the government and non-governmental organisations and the civil society were playing an important role in raising awareness about HIV/Aids, reproductive health and rights. Bangladesh is considered a model in Asia region for its achievement in the field of reproductive health and family planning.

Minister for Science and Information & Communication Technology Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Ataur Rahman Khan MP, GM Kader MP, and Fazlur Rahman, director general of Health and Family Welfare Directorate, also spoke.