The year 2015 is a special year for the international community and Bangladesh alike. It is so for
several reasons: 1) it marks the end of the target year set for the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs); 2) UN Member States will decide on the next Development Agenda to succeed the MDGs;
3) It is the first year after UN Member States re-affirmed their full commitment to the Programme of
Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), and agreed that the
ICPD is an “unfinished agenda” still relevant to all countries. The ICPD Programme of Action calls
on Governments to integrate population dynamics into their development programmes, particularly
addressing gender equality and women’s empowerment, and the importance of planning for the needs
of special population groups such as older persons; adolescents and youth; persons with disabilities;
indigenous peoples. Other areas of emphasis are urbanization, internal and international migration;
sexual and reproductive health and rights; and education. In Bangladesh, 2015 takes on a special
importance as the Government goes into its 7th five-year Development Plan.
In the present Policy Paper entitled “The Impact of Demographic Transition on Socio-economic
Development in Bangladesh: Future Prospects and Implications for Public Policy,” UNFPA offers an
analytical review and policy recommendations on some of the key topics contained in the ICPD Plan
of Action beyond 2014. The Paper is submitted to the consideration of the General Economics
Division (GED) of the Ministry of Planning of Bangladesh, at a time when this Division formulates
the Plan that will guide Government investments of the coming five years.