The finance minister, AMA Muhith, attributed the country's struggles with poverty and other issues to the failure of donors to fulfill their aid pledges. He expressed this sentiment at the release of a report on Bangladesh's progress towards achieving Millennium Development Goals at Sonargaon hotel in Dhaka on Wednesday. Muhith emphasized that achieving MDGs would not be difficult if donor agencies honored their commitments. Bangladesh, like other nations, has committed to eradicating extreme poverty by cutting the proportion of people living on less than $1 a day in half by 2015. Despite some progress on certain issues, the minister noted various challenges in meeting MDG targets. He stated that child malnutrition continues to be a significant issue and noted that while progress has been made in addressing sanitation problems, the arsenic issue still remains unresolved. He also mentioned that the country's economic growth rate is good but lags behind that of neighboring countries. Planning minister AK Khandker and foreign minister Dipu Moni, along with others, also spoke at the event. Khandker emphasized the need for increased international assistance to tackle the impacts of climate change in Bangladesh. Moni stated that natural disasters caused by climate change are hindering the country's development. She emphasized the advancements made in poverty reduction, women's empowerment, primary education, and reducing child mortality. The progress report was presented by Planning Commission member Shamsul Alam.