Bangladesh Prime Minister Outlines Five-Year Policy Agenda at BOBC 2026

• Prime Minister Tarique Rahman unveiled a five-year action plan focused on institutional reform, economic stability, and national development at the Bay of Bengal Conversation 2026 in Dhaka.
• The agenda emphasizes a transition from campaign commitments to active implementation across key public sectors.

Core Policy Initiatives

• Healthcare and Education: Plans to recruit 100,000 health workers (80% women) for grassroots primary care. Education reforms include a focus on values, vocational training, a third language, and expanded free education for girls up to the graduate level.
• Youth and Technology: Prioritizing skills development in AI and digital innovation to convert brain drain into brain circulation and support start-ups.
• Agriculture and Rural Economy: Modernizing agriculture through irrigation improvements, market access, and industrializing agro-products to strengthen rural prosperity.
• Climate Resilience: Environmental targets include planting 250 million trees over five years, excavating 20,000 km of waterways, and advancing the Teesta master plan and Padma Barrage project.

Geopolitics and Social Issues

• Refugee Crisis: Reaffirmed the goal of a safe, voluntary, and dignified repatriation of 1.2 million Rohingya refugees, insisting that the crisis must be solved at its source in Myanmar.
• Regional Cooperation: Positioning the Bay of Bengal as an economic gateway for shipping, energy, and tourism, while advocating for regional dialogue based on fairness, equality, and justice.