#thenewscompany – Danish Foreign Minister Kristian Jensen has approved a five-year programme for Denmark’s development partnership with Bangladesh. The programme is aligned to the Bangladeshi Government’s 7th Five-Year Plan that sets out the course for the country’s journey towards Middle-income status, said a release here today.
Danish Ambassador in Dhaka Hanne Fugl Eskjaer said, “By supporting efforts of social mobilisation and empowerment, Denmark is confident that the programme will make a real difference for the Bangladeshi people.”
Bangladesh has made remarkable progress on social and economic indicators in the past decades, he added. “In order to meet the targets of the Government’s five year plan by 2021 and the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, emphasis on inclusive, pro-poor and sustainable development are important elements,” the ambassador said.
He believed that the Danish five-year programme in Bangladesh can make a difference in this respect, he added. Denmark was one of the first countries to recognise Bangladesh after the Liberation War in 1971. The Danish efforts have created results across the whole country. Income and food security for three million farmers, where almost half are women, have been improved. Access to local markets and cyclone shelters has been improved for millions through improvement of rural infrastructure.
The new five-year programme will take effect by the end of 2016. The Danish Embassy will now initiate discussions with the Ministry of Finance to conclude a Government-to-Government agreement.
