Denmark approves five-year development partnership with Bangladesh

Poverty alleviation, climate change, governance and rights will be the main areas for the Danish development effort in Bangladesh for the next five years after Copenhagen has approved the new 'partnership' plan.

The Danish embassy in Dhaka on Sunday said its Foreign Minister Kristian Jensen “just approved” the five-year programme for development partnership with Bangladesh.

The programme, which will take effect by the end of 2016, is aligned to the Bangladeshi government’s Seventh Five Year Plan that aims at achieving middle-income status for the country by 2021.

The Danish embassy will now initiate discussions with Bangladesh’s finance ministry to conclude a government-to-government agreement for the new programme.

Denmark was one of the first countries to recognise Bangladesh after the Liberation War in 1971.

The embassy said a lot has happened since then and through a "strong partnership the two countries have achieved many concrete results".

However, Bangladesh is still facing a range of challenges.

The efforts are part of "a collective endeavour that involves the government of Bangladesh, development partners, civil society and the private sector."

"By supporting efforts of social mobilisation and empowerment, Denmark is confident that the programme will make a real difference for the Bangladeshi people," the embassy said.

The Danish efforts have led to positive results across the whole country.

Ambassador Hanne Fugl Eskjær said 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 were identified as important elements.

"I believe that the Danish five-year programme in Bangladesh can make a difference in this respect”, she was quoted as saying in a statement.