Proposed budget is courageous, implementable: Hasan

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DHAKA, June 23, 2020 (BSS) – Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud
today said the proposed budget for fiscal 2020-21 is a courageous and
implementable one.

“In the past, it was quite possible to implement about 97-98
percent of all the budgets announced by the Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina-led government facing criticisms and obstacles,” he told
parliament while taking part in general discussion on the proposed
budget.

Hasan, also Awami League Joint general secretary, said proving the
capacity of achieving this success, it would be possible to implement
the proposed budget for fiscal 2020-21.

Mentioning that today (June 23) is the founding anniversary of
Bangladesh Awami League, he said, Awami League is not just a party but
a name of a creative spark since many glorious achievements of the
Bengalee nation and the country have been achieved under the
leadership of this party.

The information minister recalled that the greatest achievement of
the nation – the country’s independence – was achieved under the
leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

He said three years and half after the country’s independence, the
Father of the Nation was assassinated.

If Bangabandhu was not killed, Bangladesh would have become a more
developed country than today’s Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea
within 10 to 15 years of its independence, he added.

Hasan said there was about 7.4 percent economic growth during the
era of Bangabandhu but this rate was not achieved in the next 40 years
after his killing.

“It was possible to attain such economic growth only in fiscal
2016-17 under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” he
added.

Under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, the AL joint general
secretary said, Bangladesh is now self-sufficient in food and it
graduated to a middle-income country from the low-income one.

The rate of poverty dropped to 20 percent from 41 percent, while
the extreme poverty rate to 10 percent, he added.

Responding to the remarks of BNP lawmaker Harunur Rashid, Hasan
said it was possible to implement all the past budgets of the
government as it had high ambition.

He said many big achievements have been made in all socioeconomic
fields through implementation of the budgets.

About the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the information minister
said despite its limited resources and capabilities, the Sheikh
Hasina-led government is doing everything possible to tackle the
COVID-19 crisis.

Citing global statistics, he said Bangladesh ranked much lower than
many developed countries in terms of mortality rate from COVID-19 as
the government has taken various measures to tackle it.

Hasan said even the Bangladesh’s COVID-19 death toll is lower than
neighbouring India and Pakistan.

Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque, Education Minister Dr Dipu
Moni, AL lawmakers Mirza Azam, Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, Amirul Islam
Milon and Umme Kulsum Smrity, Jasad MP Hasanul Haq Inu, opposition
chief whip Mashiur Rahman Ranga, Jatiya Party lawmaker Anisul Islam
Mahmud and Workers Party MP Fazle Hossain Badsha also took part in the
budget discussion.