Panakhali to Become a Model ‘SDG Village’

Asafur Rahman Kajal, Khulna

Panakhali village in Dacope upazila of Khulna, long plagued by waterlogging, climate change, poor infrastructure and limited access to healthcare, education and employment, is set to embark on a new development journey as an ‘SDG Village’. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will officially declare the village an SDG Village virtually today (Monday), launching an integrated development initiative based on the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The initiative aims to transform Panakhali into a modern, sustainable and inclusive village by addressing poverty, healthcare, education, employment, agriculture, sanitation, infrastructure and environmental challenges.

Local residents see the initiative as an opportunity to overcome years of deprivation. Farmers Mahbubur Rahman and Aravinda Mondal, fisherman Parimal Roy, day labourer Abdur Rashid Gazi and village physician Mahidul Sheikh hope the project will improve electricity, education, healthcare, employment, agriculture and business. Under a plan prepared by the Dacope upazila administration, the 17 SDGs will guide development in Panakhali. Priorities include poverty reduction, tackling waterlogging and climate-change impacts, improving education and healthcare, reducing child and maternal mortality, ensuring safe water and sanitation, empowering women and expanding renewable energy.

The plan also includes environmental conservation, tree plantation, agricultural and livelihood development, and digital services. Officials say the initiative goes beyond roads, electricity and physical infrastructure to cover almost every major aspect of residents’ lives. Panakhali is one of three villages selected nationally for a pilot SDG Village programme. The other two are Mitingachhari in Chandraghona union of Kaptai upazila in Rangamati and Nafanagar in Bochaganj upazila of Dinajpur. Local people say repeated visits by government officials have raised hopes. Farmers want modern agricultural facilities, fishermen seek livelihood security, day labourers want employment, women seek greater economic and social empowerment, students want quality education, and young people want jobs.

Khulna District Council Administrator and District BNP Member Secretary SM Monirul Hasan Bappi said the initiative could open a new horizon for improving the lives of coastal communities. “I went there and spoke with the villagers, listened to their problems and saw the situation. These villagers never imagined that their village would become part of such a national development initiative,” he said. Also, Dacope Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Borhan Uddin Mithu said the village is being developed as a modern, sustainable and inclusive community in line with the 17 SDGs. “Panakhali’s people’s dream has now gone beyond the boundaries of a village and become a dream of a model,” he said.