Shawdesh desk:

Rotary in Bangladesh has declared that hundreds of its clubs and thousands of Rotarians across the country will work with the government to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by Bangladesh as part of its focus on serving humanity.

In a daylong Incoming Leaders Training Seminar (ILTS) held at BIAM Auditorium in Dhaka, the Rotary leaders declared on Friday evening that they were working to build partnership with the Prime Minister’s Office to promote the SDGs. Rotary as an international humanitarian organisation works in seven areas including water, sanitation, providing clean water, saving mothers and children and protecting the environment.

The Rotary leaders said that many of the UN-declared targets under the SDGs with a 2030 deadline are aligned with Rotary’s seven areas of focus, and thus Rotary’s partnership with the government would be a win-win proposition.

Akhter Hossain, senior secretary and principal coordinator of the SDGs, Prime Minister’s Office, said that Bangladesh was progressing in achieving many of the SDG targets under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

He said that the government was keen to partner with a reputed humanitarian group like Rotary, which had an international standing to serve humanity through service projects in Bangladesh and else where to achieve the target of the SDGs.

Monirul Islam, additional secretary on the SDGs, Prime Minister’s Office, Bangladesh, made a detailed presentation on the SDGs and its advancement in Bangladesh.

The session was moderated by Rotary International President’s Special Advisor and Past District Governor Ashish Ghosh while Past District Governor in Bangladesh and Chief Training Coordinator Ishtiaque A Zaman also spoke.

Data Magfur, a prominent Rotary trainer, led the daylong training programme with trainers lecturing on budgeting, club administration, public image and building leadership.

The Rotary leaders said they expect Rotary would soon sign an agreement with the Prime Minister’s Office to work together in the field of the SDGs.

In Friday’s event, some 1200 Rotarians and young Rotaractors from across the country discussed their preparation for the next year 2024-2025. Rotary year starts on July 1 and ends on June 30 next year.

Rotary, headquartered in Illinois in the Unites States, is a global network of 1.4 million neighbours, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe.

Bangladesh has a network of more than 300 Rotary clubs.