Given the remarkable progress made by the country in several key areas of development, Bangladesh is on the track to graduate from the ranks of the least developed countries, the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, has said.
"People of Bangladesh have many reasons to feel positive about their future," Ban said in his remarks yesterday at the special meeting of the UN General Assembly to pay tribute to the memory of the late Bangladesh President Zillur Rahman, who died recently.
"Bangladesh is setting an example on building resilience and disaster preparedness. It is a leader on sustainable development and in seeing great progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals," he said.
Along with the development in education sector, maternal and child mortality is dropping, and the country is strengthening social protection and improving public services, including sanitation and fresh water, he said.
The UN chief said that the south Asian country has long been a pioneer in micro-credit, and its economy is thriving.
"As a result, Bangladesh is on the track to graduate from the ranks of the least developed countries," Ban said.
Noting that Bangladesh is also a leader in women's empowerment, Ban said that he is in particular proud of the efforts of the country's women police officers, who are serving with UN peacekeeping missions.
"They are showing women and men in the countries where they serve that there is nothing that a woman cannot do. Women's empowerment is a top priority for me, and Bangladesh's women - from its Prime Minister Sheikh Hassina, to its police officers are in the vanguard," he said.
At the same time, Bangladesh continues to face serious challenges, he said.
"Population growth, inequality, rising food and energy prices and the need to create decent jobs for young people, will all continue to test the country. So too will the challenges of democracy, reconciliation, healing and justice related to the struggle for independence," Ban said.
