Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday expressed her firm confidence that Bangladesh would never plunge into Sri Lanka-like situation for its development spree, rather the country would continue to move ahead overcoming all global challenges.
‘Remember one thing that Bangladesh will never be Sri Lanka,’ she said at a discussion as the chief guest.
The PM, however, said that Bangladesh had to face Sri Lanka-like situation in the regime of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, but Awami League government had pulled the country out of that state.
Dhaka South City AL and Dhaka North City AL jointly organised the discussion in the city’s Bangabandhu International Conference Center, marking the National Mourning Day and 47th martyrdom anniversary of the country’s founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Sheikh Hasina, also the ruling AL President, said during BNP’s regime in 2001-2006, Bangladesh became champion in corruption for five consecutive times, while the country saw huge price hike of essential commodities, and scarcity of electricity, water and employment.
She also said Bangladesh witnessed militancy, terrorism, grenade attack, August 21 grade attack, grenade attack in 500 places across the country, former finance minister Kibria murder and bomb attack at many places as well.
She added that, ‘Bangladesh’s economy came to standstill due to terrorism, extremism and corruption.’
The prime minister continued that people at that time (BNP’s regime) took to the street, actually they were compelled to come down on the street.
She went on saying that, ‘AL government has rescued the country from that state. So, why will Bangladesh become Sri Lanka today?’
With Dhaka South City AL president Freedom Fighter Abu Ahmed Mannafi in the chair, Dhaka North AL general secretary SM Mannan Kochi moderated the discussion.
Dhaka South City Corporation mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, Dhaka North City AL adviser and Dhaka North City Corporation mayor Atiqul Islam, Dhaka North City AL president Sheikh Bazlur Rahman, Dhaka South City AL general secretary Humayun Kabir, North AL vice-president Sadek Khan, South AL vice-president Advocate Nurul Amin Ruhul, North AL vice-president freedom Ffghter MA Quader Khan and South City AL vice-president Shaheed Serniyabat, among others, also spoke.
The prime minister said her government is adopting development schemes in a well-planned manner so the country’s economy keeps rolling, continuing its ongoing trend and moving ahead.
‘We think in a pragmatic way before taking any development project. We think that what type of development will be in the country after implementation of the project,’ she said.
She added that Sheikh Hasina didn’t take any project in return for commission and it was the reality.
‘My only thought is that what type of benefit the country and people would get from the development projects,’ she said.
‘We do such a plan, and we are taking the country ahead this way,’ she also said.
Referring to beginning of Russia-Ukraine war before ending the adverse impact of Covid-19 pandemic, Sheikh Hasina said they had segmented the development projects into A, B, C and D categories in terms of budget allocation.
‘We are allocating more funds to implement the project quickly which is necessary to complete fast so that the outcome of the project contributes to the economy and people get the benefit from it,’ she said.
Similarly, the government had also categorised the projects which would not cause any loss for slow implementation, she said, adding, ‘We are taking each step in such a way.’
The head of the government went on saying, ‘Actually, we never eat borrowed Ghee’, adding, ‘In fact, Bangladesh is not in a position that it will be trapped by anyone.’
She said Bangladesh is repaying all loans on time whenever they borrow from someone but ‘we are doing it so carefully’.
