Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday sought five key supports from Bangladesh’s development partners to make a smart, innovative and knowledge-based society which will help promote a peaceful, just and inclusive society.
“A smart, innovative and knowledge-based society will help promote a peaceful, just and inclusive society,” she said.
The prime minister the support proposals while speaking in a side event titled “Investment in Research and Development in LDCs for Smart and Innovative Societies” at the 5th UN LDC Conference held at Audiotorium-3,Qatar of the National Convention Center (QNCC).
The key supports are:
First, provide appropriate incentives to the international private sector for impactful technology transfer to LDCs, including for climate action;
Second, help invest in digital infrastructures to reduce broadband divide and tech discriminations in LDCs;
Third, foster collaboration among research professionals and institutes to address issues and challenges facing LDCs;
Fourth, continuation of LDC waivers under TRIPS Agreement, also beyond graduation, especially for pharmaceuticals and agro-chemicals; and,
Fifth, support developing an intellectual property regime conducive to both innovation and development in LDCs.
She also apprised the meeting of her goal to go much further to the next vision which is to build a ‘Smart Bangladesh’ by 2041.
“It will be based on four core elements: Smart Citizen, Smart Government, Smart Society and Smart Economy,” she said.
Hasina said that in 2009, while her government made a pledge to the people to build a ‘Digital Bangladesh’ by 2021, it sounded like a tall order.
“But, the COVID-19 pandemic proved that we could redeem that pledge.”
She said that the pandemic reminded that LDCs cannot wait to invest in scientific research and technological innovation.
“Such investments are a must for advancing their economies through productive capacity building,” she said.
She mentioned that LDCs average GDP expenditure for research and development still remains below 0.6 percent. Only a handful of them feature in the Global Innovation Index.
“But, LDCs cannot afford to lag behind with the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Our young people should be made part of the Future of Work. We need meaningful global partnership for that,” she said.
Hasina said that Bangladesh qualified for LDC graduation in 2021 under all three criteria.
