A recent report by the United Nations has shown that the poverty rate in Bangladesh has decreased from 49 per cent to 31 per cent due to advancements in various aspects of human development. However, the rate of poverty reduction has not been consistent across all areas, with some regions still experiencing high levels of poverty. The UNDP country director noted that while certain growth centres have seen a significant decrease in poverty, coastal and char areas continue to struggle. Despite this disparity, the report commended Bangladesh for its overall progress and predicted that the country would soon move up to the medium human development index category. Priesner stated that Bangladesh has made significant long-term progress on the Human Development Index (HDI), but emphasized the importance of not becoming complacent. The country's HDI score improved from 0.497 to 0.5, with a notable improvement in gender inequality. Overall inequality in HDI decreased from 29% to 22%, indicating strong performance. Bangladesh was ranked slightly below Pakistan (0.504), with Delhi leading Dhaka. The UN country director highlighted the need for Bangladesh to address environmental degradation, the effects of climate change, and disaster risks in order to continue improving. He stated that the main points of the report focus on sustainable urbanization, addressing climate change, providing clean energy to those in poverty, and tackling environmental degradation. The current rate of urbanization is not sustainable, with climate change disproportionately affecting the poor. Access to clean energy is crucial for the development of impoverished communities, and failure to address environmental degradation will harm those who rely on natural resources. He emphasized that equity and sustainable development go hand in hand.