Bangladesh must move ahead overcoming global crisis: PM, Although the world has been experiencing a global crisis and economic recession, Bangladesh’s economy is still growing, according to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who expressed the hope that Bangladesh must move forward in confronting the global crisis with everyone’s cooperation.
Bangladesh must move ahead overcoming global crisis: PM
“Amidst global economic recession, our economy is still moving and pulsating. But, with cooperation of all, we will overcome the situation,” she said while speaking at a reception ceremony marking the Armed Forces Day-2022 at the Senakunja in Dhaka Cantonment. The Prime Minister said although the world recognised Bangladesh as a role model of development, the country has fallen to some troubles due to the Coronavirus, Russia-Ukraine war, sanctions and counter sanctions.
She reiterated her call to all in bringing every inch of land under cultivation to grow own food aimed at overcoming the global crisis. The Prime Minister said the entire world from the United States, Europe and Great Britain is going through an economic meltdown and Britain has already announced that it is facing an economic recession. “Pray to Allah as we can protect Bangladesh from the economic recession and looming famine,” she said.
She claimed that while the world is still recovering from the coronavirus, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has caused a significant rise in the price of many goods, including fuel, edible oil, wheat, and maize, as well as an increase in transportation costs. Despite doing everything in its power to spare people from suffering, the prime minister stated.
“We’re trying as the people of our country cannot suffer from the global crisis. So, we’re purchasing the goods from anywhere in the world by paying how much their prices are,” she said.
The Chief of Army Staff General S M Shafiuddin Ahmed, the Chief of Naval Staff Admiral M Shaheen Iqbal, and the Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Shaikh Abdul Hannan welcomed the Premier when she arrived at the Senakunja. On the dais was Major General (ret.) Tarique Ahmed Siddique, the PM’s security affairs advisor. High-ranking military and civilian officials, members of the cabinet, political figures, foreign diplomats, and the speaker of the parliament attended the event. Sheikh Hasina stated that 50 lakh lower class people are receiving 15 kilograms of rice at a cost of Tk 15 per kilogram, while elderly and physically disabled people are receiving 30 kilograms of rice free of charge.
She also said that they have distributed TCB cards to one crore people as they can purchase four essentials, rice, oil, pulse and sugar at fair price alongside giving monetary assistance to village level during the Covid-19 pandemic as none remained deprived. The Prime Minister said they have a target to give landless and homeless people home at government expenses to give them a beautiful and improved life as envisioned by the Father of the Nation. “We’re implementing all sorts of measures to upgrade the living standard of the masses,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina, also President of the Awami League, said her government has been able to carry out massive development of the country due to the continuation of democracy since her party assumed office in 2009 after winning the 2008 general election. “We’re in power till date through people’s mandate since 2009. The democratic process is continuing in Bangladesh and we have been able to make huge developments due to it,” she said. She recalled that the AL government had the first one in Bangladesh’s history which handed over power peacefully upon completion of its first tenure in 2001.
She gave a brief overview of the many steps her government has made to make Bangladesh a developed nation and stated that her government is committed to transforming Bangladesh into a developed and affluent country free from hunger and poverty by the year 2041. The Bangladesh Army has been transformed into one that is genuinely pro-people since it stands alongside the masses throughout any calamity or crisis, according to Sheikh Hasina, who is also the minister of the defense ministry.
“I believe that our army is now truly becoming the people’s army. The armed forces stand beside the people and extend cooperation to them during any disaster and accident,” she said. Referring to the foreign policy “Friendship to all, malice to none” formulated by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Prime Minister said Bangladesh doesn’t want war against any country rather pursues peace and friendship. “I will tell one thing that we’ll not fight against anyone. We want peace. The Father of the Nation has taught us it and we’re working to ensure socio-economic development of the commoners of our country by maintaining friendly relations. The people of the country are now benefiting from it,” she said.
She said that by enforcing the land boundary agreement, the enclave problem with India was resolved peacefully, setting an example for the rest of the world. She continued by saying that by maintaining cordial ties with its neighbors, India and Myanmar, her government had won legal disputes over a sizable sea area.
According to the Prime Minister, her government has taken steps to create armed forces that are as powerful as those the Father of the Nation desired and for which he created the Defence Policy in 1974. She added that they have created the Forces Goal-2030 in accordance with the defence policy to create armed forces that are as time-appropriately outfitted with all modern technology, weapons, and vehicles, as well as top-notch training so they can compete on a global scale.
“We want armed forces to be time befitting—we’re making the armed forces stronger in accordance with the Force’s Goal-2030,” she said.