A seminar on Bangladesh's development agenda and challenges was held at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Thursday; it discussed critical issues regarding the future development agenda of the country.

The Governance Innovation Unit of the PMO hosted the seminar as part of a memorandum of understanding signed between the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation of Harvard Kennedy School and the Governance Innovation Unit of the PMO for the capacity development of Bangladesh civil service.

Prime Minister's International Affairs Adviser Professor Gowher Rizvi spoke as the chief guest at the seminar. It was chaired by Governance Innovation Unit Director General Mohammad Abdul Latif.

Faculty members from ASH Center for Democratic Governance delivered their speeches on public value and public administration, administrative reforms, the cost of climate change, disaster response and energy transitions.

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To discuss the Bangladesh development agenda and challenges, faculty members from different public and private universities such as the University of Dhaka, the South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance of North South University, the Brac Institute of Governance and Development, the Center for Energy Research of United International University and researchers from the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies and the Bangladesh Institute of Governance and Management participated in the discussion.

Career bureaucrats from the PMO, the Ministry of Public Administration, the Ministry of Commerce and the Finance Division also joined the event.

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Faculty members from the Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre, Bangladesh Civil Service Administration Academy and the Institute of Public Finance were also invited.