PM rules out economic crisis in Bangladesh

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of a Sri Lanka-like crisis in Bangladesh, saying that the country’s economy is very strong.

“The base of Bangladesh’s economy is very strong. We’re very careful about it,” she said in her valedictory speech in the 17th session of 11th Parliament.

The prime minister said this, referring to the remarks of Deputy Opposition Leader Ghulam Muhammed Quader who suggested that Bangladesh needs to be cautious after the Sri Lankan economic crisis.

Hasina, also the Leader of the House, said Bangladesh still remains as the 31st largest economy in the world.

She dismissed the fear of Bangladesh falling in any debt trap, saying that the country has always been repaying loans in time after Awami League formed the government.

“Bangladesh is a country which has never become a defaulter in loan repayment and will not become so in future as well,” she said.

Talking about the essentials’ price-hike, the Prime Minister said the inflation rate has gone above 7.50 per cent in the entire Europe due to the fallout of Covid-19 pandemic and Ukraine war. “But the inflation is still less than 6 per cent in Bangladesh,” she said.

She said the prices of essentials increased with the rise of per capita income in the country. The price of every commodity rose in the world due to the Covid-19.

“The prices of essentials have gone up in all the countries, not only in our country,” said Hasina, mentioning that ship fare also enhanced along with the price-hike in the international market due to the blow of both Covid and war.

Citing Wednesday’s prices of different essentials in the local market, the PM said the government is taking measures to control the prices of goods.

Meanwhile, she told parliament that the long-cherished Padma Bridge will open to traffic at the end of this year, saying the construction progress of the main bridge is 96.50 per cent.

“The construction work is progressing fast aimed at opening the Padma Bridge to traffic at the end of 2022,” she said.

She said this while replying to a tabled question from a treasury bench lawmaker from Naogaon-2 Md Shahiduzzaman Sarker during the PM’s question-answer session.

The 16th session of the 11th Jatiya Sangsad resumed this morning with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.

The prime minister called the construction of the Padma Bridge project as most challenging in country’s history, saying, “The Padma Bridge is going to open in a developing nation like Bangladesh confronting all the hurdles.”

She said that the ongoing construction work of carpeting, viaduct carpeting, waterproof membrane, movement joint of main bridge and viaduct, lamppost, aluminum railing, gas pipeline, 400 KVA electricity and railway line is in progress.

The prime minister said the construction of a 27 kilometres link road from Nawdoba, Shariatpur end to the district town has already started.

She said her government has begun the building of the country’s largest bridge --- 6.15 kilometres long and 18.10 metres wide --- in 2014 with own finance in 2014.

The construction was supposed to start in January 2009 and end in December 2015, she said, adding: “But due to the conspiracy by a vested section of people in the country, the World Bank stopped financing to construct the bridge”.

The prime minister said that the revised budget of the Padma Bridge project is Tk 30,193.39 crore.

Sheikh Hasina said constructions of infrastructures are important for the country’s development.

She added: “So, the government has given importance to develop the infrastructures. A huge change has been made during the last decade during her government. Now, the country is starting a journey on the development highways.”

The government has taken various mega projects for ensuring the country’s overall development, she continued.