Knowledge for Development Management (K4DM) Phase-II Project has officially kicked off with an Inception Workshop held on Wednesday, April 06, 2022, at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC). Ms Fatima Yasmin, Secretary, Economic Relations Division (ERD), graced the workshop as the Chief Guest and Mr Sudipto Mukerjee, Resident Representative, UNDP Bangladesh, was present as the Guest of Honor. Mr Kabir Ahamed, Wing Chief (UN) of ERD and National Project Director (NPD) of K4DM Phase-II, chaired the event. The National Project Manager of K4DM Phase II moderated the inception workshop Participants from ERD, MoFA, Planning Commission, BIDA, BEZA and other line ministries and divisions, nd UNDP KOICA, USAID and FBCCI, attended the workshop.

At  workshops, Mr Masudul Haque, Joint Secretary of ERD UN Wing and Deputy Project Director of K4DM Phase-II, delivered a detailed presentation on the project. Dr Kazi Anowarul Haque, former Additional Secretary of the Government, a presentation on the Lessons Learned through the implementation of the K4DM Project Phase-I in the first session. He was followed by Mr Rabbi Miah, Joint Secretary of ERD UN Wing and Mr S M Mahbub Alam, Deputy Secretary of ERD UN Wing. They presented in detail the five components of the project.

 In his speech, Resident Representative of UNDP Bangladesh, Mr. Sudipto Mukerjee stressed importance on identifying knowledge gaps and addressing those quickly in the LDC graduation context where UNDP and Government of Bangladesh can work closely through implementing the project. He also shared his plan to create a platform of the South Asian countries that are also graduating from the LDC category. The ERD Secretary, Ms. Fatima Yasmin mentioned the LDC graduation as the recognition of country’s continuous development and expressed profound interest in working with other peer countries graduating from LDC status and share experience and knowledge with each other for a sustainable LDC graduation.

Finally, The Chair of the workshop, Mr. Kabir Ahamed has closed the programme by thanking all the participants for attending and expressed to work with all the relevant stakeholders more comprehensively for the successful implementation of the project.

The Knowledge for Development Management (K4DM) Phase-II Project with a budget of USD 3.15 Million will be implemented by ERD and funded by UNDP Bangladesh for the period of July 2021 to June 2024 with the goal to achieve an impact where the Government of Bangladesh accelerates knowledge management and resource mobilization towards LDC graduation.