Staff Correspondent

State Minister for Housing and Public Works, Ahmed Sohel Manjur, has stated that Bangladesh is firmly committed to building inclusive, affordable, climate-resilient, and sustainable cities. He emphasized that planned urbanization is a primary driving force for the country's economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental stability.

The State Minister made these remarks while delivering a statement on behalf of Bangladesh during a high-level meeting on the mid-term review of the 'New Urban Agenda' held at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The information was confirmed in a press release received on Friday.

State Minister Manjur noted that planned urbanization, affordable housing, and balanced regional development are among the core foundations of Bangladesh's national development strategy. He stated that the government views urbanization as a crucial medium for achieving economic progress, social inclusion, and climate resilience.

He further added that under the 'Bangladesh First' policy of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the government is prioritizing the expansion of affordable housing, strengthening local government institutions, and developing sustainable urban infrastructure. These initiatives, he noted, will play a vital role in implementing the New Urban Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Ahmed Sohel Manjur also highlighted that the government has adopted integrated local planning, digital land management, innovative urban financing, balanced regional development, and the construction of climate-resilient urban infrastructure as priorities for its forward-looking urban development strategy.

Reiterating Bangladesh's commitment to international cooperation, the State Minister emphasized the need to strengthen global partnerships, technology transfer, capacity building, and innovative financing to accelerate sustainable urbanization..