A recent report by the United Nations has indicated 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 reduction in poverty was not uniform across all regions, with vulnerable areas still experiencing high poverty rates. The UNDP country director highlighted that while some growth centres saw a significant decrease in poverty, coastal and char areas continue to struggle with widespread poverty. Despite these challenges, the report commended Bangladesh for making progress and predicted that the country could move up to a higher human development index category in the future. Priesner stated that Bangladesh has made significant progress in the long term on the Human Development Index (HDI), but there is still work to be done. The country's HDI score improved from 0.497 to 0.5, with a notable advancement in addressing gender inequality. Overall, the HDI inequality has decreased by seven percentage points, from 29% to 22%, indicating a positive performance. Bangladesh's HDI ranking is slightly below Pakistan at 0.504, with Delhi ahead of Dhaka. The UN country director emphasized the need for Bangladesh to address environmental degradation, the adverse effects of climate change, and disaster risks in order to continue improving. He stated that the report's main points are sustainable urbanization, addressing climate change, providing clean energy to the impoverished, and tackling environmental degradation. He emphasized that the current rate of urbanization is not sustainable and that climate change disproportionately affects the poor. Clean energy is essential for the development of those living in poverty, and failure to address environmental degradation will negatively impact those who rely on natural resources. He also noted that equity and sustainable development are interconnected.