Economy
PM Alerts to Save Money Amid Tough Days Ahead
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday, 11 October reiterated all to make their best effort to boost food production amid a strong prediction that the world may face a severe food crisis followed by calamity next year.
PM says, during my recent visits to the UK and the USA I had talked to many world leaders and heads of organizations, and everybody was very much anxious about the food security. They think that 2023 will be a very dangerous year when there might be calamities and food crisis.”
She made the statement while delivering her introductory speech at the weekly meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Committee, ECNEC held at the NEC Bhaban in Dhaka. The Prime Minister joined the meeting virtually from her official residence –Ganabhaban. Ecnec is an executive committee under the Cabinet Division to verify and approve all national important development projects.
“We must increase food production and preserve those. We must give special attention to preserving and processing food. Our land is very much fertile, and we have to increase our food production,” she added.
She reiterated her call to maintain austerity in every sphere of life, avoiding any unnecessary expenditure.
“All have to be alert and maintain austerity in using electricity, fuel, water, gas and everything else. I will request every family to go for savings in whatever they can. And this is applied to our government also,” she said.
She said that the government will not go for any unnecessary expenditure.
“We will just use whatever we need, not more than that. We do not have any scope for that. Because I saw anxiety among world leaders and heads of organizations. So, we must maintain enough cautionary steps,” she said.
The Prime Minister said that the country must be advanced, overcoming all odds, and the government will do that as long as people are with them.
“People are the biggest power for us. We do not have any tension as long as people are with us. We have to encourage the people and utilize them as we did while facing the coronavirus pandemic,” she said.
She said that the country needed to be free from the impact of recession that is coming from Ukraine war.
Sheikh Hasina also requested the Planning Commission not to spend their valuable time discussing inflation every time.
“Because many countries around the world do not discuss this often, The USA and the European countries as well,” she said.
“We also do not need any extensive discussion on this, but efforts should be there to keep prices of essentials within people’s reach. We will do whatever is needed,” she said.
About undertaking any projects, she said that all must think about the maximum benefit for the people.
“There is no need to hop in to undertake any unnecessary project when the fund is available. We have to take any project after very careful scrutiny so that we could get some return from that project, which will be beneficial to the country. We will take that type of project,” she said.
“I did not take any project like that, we were always cautious regarding that matter. We have to remain careful in the near future,” she said.
She added that her administration has a commitment to the people. “We feel that, we work for that.”
The Prime Minister stressed the need for completing the ongoing projects as quickly as possible, even if they need some extra money.
“If we complete the projects, we will be able to get benefits from those projects and the economy of the country will get positive impact from that. We have to sort out those projects and implement them quickly.”
PM also asked all the ministries to identify projects, which can be implemented a little bit slower.
Sheikh Hasina said that it is not possible to develop any country without the continuation of the democratic process.
“For 21 years the power was not in the hands of the people. Power was directly or indirectly inside cantonment. The country was run by military ordinances neglecting the constitution of the country,” she said.
She said that there was a farce in the name of democracy and vote rigging was a norm.
“We witnessed those. As a result, Bangladesh could not advance.”
PM said that after coming to power in 2008 the government established Bangladesh as a developing country.
“There is a reason behind this success, that is in the history of Bangladesh, democracy continued without any barrier. We were able to attain this success due to the unhampered continuation of democracy,” she said.
Read More: PM Hasina to discuss UK, US visit to media on Thursday
At least 20 Umrah pilgrims were killed and 29 injured in a horrific bus crash southwest of Saudi Arabia, according to Gulf News reports.
The passenger bus crashed into a bridge on Monday, overturned, and caught fire, killing 20 and injuring 29.
According to Saudi media, the accident occurred around 4pm on the 14 km-long Aqabat Shaar road in the Asir province, as the bus was traveling from Khamis Mushayt to Abha.
The road, according to Saudi Press Agency, cuts through mountains, and has 11 tunnels and 32 bridges. When the bus was making its way down a bridge it underwent a brake failure, which caused it to crash into a barrier at the end of the bridge, overturn and catch fire. About 29 other people were also injured in the accident, according to reports.
The Saudi civil defense and Red Crescent Authority teams rushed to the site of the accident and cordoned off the area.
The deceased and the injured have reportedly been transferred to nearby hospitals.
Greeting Bangladesh, the United Nations on Sunday (26th March) said Bangladesh has many accomplishments — extraordinary economic development, a significant cultural legacy, leadership on a global stage for climate-vulnerable countries, and immense generosity in welcoming and hosting nearly a million Rohingya refugees.
“The hospitality of Bangladesh’s diverse people is just one of the many facets of a country that my colleagues and I have been fortunate to experience every day,” UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Gwyn Lewis said in a press statement on the occasion of the country’s Independence Day.
“On behalf of the United Nations, I warmly congratulate the people of Bangladesh on the 52nd anniversary of independence,” she said.
Over the last 52 years, Bangladesh has made impressive and remarkable achievements: evolving from a war-torn country to one of the leading economic powers in South Asia, standing at the threshold of upcoming graduation from least developed countries (LDCs) in 2026, and planned achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDG) by 2030, she said.
The UN fully supports Bangladesh’s commitments to economic and sustainable development and appreciates the strong and long-lasting relationship with Bangladesh and our shared values.
The constitution of the country, which was adopted even before Bangladesh had formally become a member of the United Nations in 1974, guarantees fundamental human rights. The right to freedom of speech, religion, movement and assembly, the right to speak one’s own language and other rights that are in line with the UN charter, said the UNRC.
“Wishing you all a Happy Independence Day!” — she concluded.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina & President M Abdul Hamid paid rich tributes to the Liberation War martyrs by placing wreaths at the National Memorial at Savar on the outskirts of Dhaka early on Sunday (26th March), marking the 53rd Independence and National Day.
The president first placed the wreath at the altar of the memorial followed by the prime minister.
After laying the wreaths, the president and the premier stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect for the memories of the martyrs of the Great War of Liberation in 1971.
A smartly turned-out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force presented a state salute at that time while the bugles played the last post.
The head of the state and the head of the government also signed the visitors’ book kept on the memorial premises.
Flanked by her party leaders, Sheikh Hasina, also the president of the Awami League, paid glowing tributes to the Liberation War martyrs by placing another wreath at the National Memorial on behalf of her party.
Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique, senior AL leaders, leaders of AL-led 14-party alliance and high civil and military officials, among others, were present there.
Later, the Jatiya Sangsad (parliament) speaker and the chief justice also paid homage to the martyrs by placing wreaths at the National Mausoleum.
Every year, March 26 brings the most tragic reminiscence of history’s blackest episode that heralded a nine-month bloody ordeal from the night of March 25, 1971, achieving the long-cherished independence on December 16 the same year at the cost of a sea of blood.
In the wake of the military crackdown by the then Pakistan occupation force, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman proclaimed the independence of Bangladesh through the then EPR (East Pakistan Rifles) wireless at 00-30 hours on March 26 (the night following March 25) in 1971 at his historic Road-32 residence at Dhanmondi in Dhaka.
The day is very auspicious and precious to the Bengali nation.
