The 2000-2010 decade is perhaps the most remarkable period in Bangladesh’s history in terms of growth and poverty reduction. During this period, the real GDP growth in Bangladesh was nearly 6 percent per year on average and the poverty headcount rate fell by about 1.7 percentage points per year, from 49 percent in 2000 to 31.5 percent in 2010. During this decade, Bangladesh also attained the depth-of-poverty Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target of 8 percent at least five years ahead of schedule, and was set in the right path for achieving the first poverty MDG goal of halving the poverty headcount to 28.5 percent by 2015. The country experienced similar improvements in other socio-economic indicators, consistently achieving better health outcomes, improved access to services, better living conditions, and increased literacy. Not too long ago being referred to as the “basket case,” the country now sets eyes on a new goal, that of becoming a middle income country by 2021.