R M Niaz: Bangladesh requires an additional $421 billion between FY2026 and FY2030 to achieve its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to a new government assessment. The findings were unveiled Sunday at a national workshop organized by the Economic Relations Division (ERD) with UN support.

ERD Secretary Md Shahriar Kader Siddiky noted that while the global environment is uncertain, "coordinated action and better governance" can bridge the gap. UN Resident Coordinator Carol Flore-Smereczniak emphasized the need for domestic resource mobilization, urging a higher tax-to-GDP ratio and private sector alignment as Bangladesh prepares to graduate from Least Developed Country (LDC) status.

Bangladesh will need about $421 billion in extra funding over the next five years to attain Sustainable Development Goals-- according to a new government assessment unveiled today at a national workshop in Dhaka.

The Economic Relations Division (ERD), with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Bangladesh, organized the aforementioned ‘National Validation Workshop on the Development Finance Assessment (DFA) and SDG Financing.’

The workshop reviewed findings from the DFA-- a global tool that helps align financing policies, institutions, and financial flows with national development priorities and also discussed Bangladesh’s updated SDG Financing Strategy.

Speaking as the Chief Guest, Secretary of ERD Md Shahriar Kader Siddiky said, ‘The remaining period of the SDGs up to 2030 will be challenging. The financing gap is large, the time available is limited, and the global environment remains uncertain. Nevertheless, I remain confident that Bangladesh can make meaningful progress.’

‘What we now need is a clear set of priorities, coordinated action, better governance and effective implementation, ’ he added.

Carol Flore-Smereczniak, UN Resident Coordinator, highlighted the significance of domestic resource mobilization at this moment in Bangladesh’s development journey. She said, “In today’s world, opportunities for development financing are diminishing. This is an opportunity for Bangladesh to increase its domestic investment in the SDGs by increasing the tax-to-GDP ratio and by encouraging the private sector to make SDG-aligned investments.”

Additional Secretary of ERD and the Chair of the event, A H M Jahangir stressed the need for a joined-up financing plan as Bangladesh prepares to graduate from LDC status.

Speaking for UNDP, Sonali Dayaratne, Deputy Resident Representative, underscored the need for stronger financing policies and partnerships to close the funding gap.

“Financing today is no longer simply about mobilising more resources; it is about ensuring that all key government institutions, development partners, the private sector, and civil society are active partners in the design process from the outset,” she said.

Presenting the findings, Dr Selim Raihan, Professor of Economics at the University of Dhaka, outlined Bangladesh's evolving financing landscape and options for raising additional funds from public and private sources.

He presented the $421 billion estimate for FY2026–FY2030, noting most of it will need to come from domestic public and private finance, climate finance and international partnerships.

The workshop was supported by the UNDP Climate Finance Network (CFN) Programme, funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).

It brought together government officials, development partners, banks, academics, and civil society to discuss the findings of the two studies to plan the financial roadmap better to achieve the SDGs.

Feedback from the workshop will help finalise both the DFA and the Financing Strategy.