A new report by the United Nations has stated that the poverty rate in Bangladesh has decreased from 49 percent to 31 percent due to advancements in various aspects of human development. However, the rate of poverty reduction was not consistent across all regions, with some areas experiencing significant improvements while others, such as coastal or char areas, continue to struggle with high levels of poverty. UNDP country director Stefan Priesner noted these discrepancies during the report's launch. Despite this, 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 that there is no room for complacency. According to the report, Bangladesh's HDI improved from 0.497 to 0.5, with a notable advancement in addressing gender inequality. The country's overall inequality HDI decreased by seven percentage points, from 29% to 22%, demonstrating strong performance. Bangladesh was ranked just below Pakistan (0.504), with Delhi leading Dhaka in the rankings. The UN country director highlighted the need for Bangladesh to address environmental degradation, the adverse effects of climate change, and the risks of disasters in order to continue improving. He mentioned that the report highlights four main points: sustainable urbanization, addressing climate change, providing clean energy to those in need, and tackling environmental degradation. He also noted that the current rate of urbanization is not sustainable and climate change disproportionately affects the poor. Clean energy is essential 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.