JS-06 Continuation of Sheikh Hasina’s govt can build poverty-free Bangladesh: Momen

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Continuation of Sheikh Hasina’s govt can build poverty-free Bangladesh: Momen

SANGSAD BHABAN, Feb 11, 2020 (BSS) – Noting that Bangladesh has started its journey along the development highway under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen today said if Sheikh Hasina’s government remains is the state power it would be possible to build a poverty-free Bangladesh.

“Not only GDP growth has been increased, but the extreme poverty rate has been declined to 10.5 percent from 24 percent. I believe, we will be able to build a poverty free Bangladesh if the government of Sheikh Hasina remains in the state power,” he said.

The foreign minister came up with the remarks while taking part in the discussion on the thanksgiving motion on the President’s January 9 address to the House.

The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has increased by $3.89 billion in the last year, he said, adding that in the last two years the FDI growth rate has increased by 181 percent, which is the highest in the world.

The export has increased by $46.8 billion in the goods and services sector in 2018-19 fiscal, Momen said, adding that the remittance has been increased to $18 billion from $15 billion due to giving two percent cash incentive on money remitted by expatriate Bangladeshis.

Awami League lawmakers Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Md Monowar Hossain Chowdhury, Nur Mohammad, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, Jaya Sen Gupta, Ashim Kumar Ukil, Moslem Uddin Ahmed, Md Shah E Alam, Ahmed Firoz Kabir and Jewel Areng also took part in the discussion. Deputy Speaker M Fazle Rabbi Miah was in the chair.

Taking part in the discussion, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim highlighted the long struggle life of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and emphasized on projecting Bangabandhu’s life and works, sacrifice and patriotism through dramas, movies, literatures and seminars.

Referring to the pivotal role of Bangabandhu in rebuilding the war-torn Bangladesh after the Liberation War, he said Bangladesh would have been a developed country if Bangabandhu would remain alive.

About bringing back of the fugitive killers of Bangabandhu, Selim drew attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for taking necessary steps to bring back the killers as soon as possible.

The treasury bench lawmaker demanded formation of a commission to find out the perpetrators who were behind the conspiracy of killing Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and responsible for rehabilitating the killers.

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, taking part in the discussion, projected different activities of his ministry.

About the onion crisis, he said, the country’s annual demand of onion is 25 to 26 lakh metric tones. Of the total onion demand, 8 to 9 lakh metric tones is needed to import from abroad, he said.

The commerce minister went on saying that the government imports 90 percent of the total imported onion from neighboring India. But the crisis was created as India stopped exporting onion in September, he added.

Noting that Bangladesh would have to face such crisis in the future if the country could not be self-reliant in onion production, Munshi said the government is going to take effective steps to make the country self-reliant in onion production by the next three years.

He said due to the government’s effective measures, the onion production will be increased by 15 to 20 percent this year.

The lawmakers from the treasury bench thanked the President for his time-befitting speech, saying that President Abdul Hamid in his 163-page speech has projected the government’s success in all sectors in the last 11 years under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and outlined the government’s future plans for transforming the country into a developed and prosperous one by 2041.

Highlighting the President’s speech on the celebration of the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the lawmakers said celebration of Bangabandhu’s birth centenary will remain as a milestone in the country’s history.

Earlier, the lawmakers paid rich tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for his sacrifice and contribution to establish an independent Bangladesh.

They also paid rich tributes to the national four leaders and martyrs of the 1975 carnage and the Language Movement.

BSS/SAH/MRU/2140hrs