National
PM Sheikh Hasina Applauds Bangladesh’s Resilient Economy Amid Global Recession
On Thursday (July 20), Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stated that despite the global economic pressures caused by the recession, Bangladesh’s economy continues to thrive. She addressed this during a meeting of the ruling Awami League-led 14-party grand alliance at her official residence, Ganabhaban. The Prime Minister emphasized the government’s commitment to prepare for the upcoming challenges the country will face as it aims to achieve developing nation status by 2026.
While acknowledging the worldwide dollar crisis and its impact on Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina asserted that the nation’s economy remains resilient. She mentioned the ongoing efforts of a sub-committee, led by the Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary, which is examining the opportunities and challenges that come with Bangladesh’s full graduation to a developing nation.
Highlighting Bangladesh’s remarkable progress, the Prime Minister proudly declared the country as a role model of development for the rest of the world. She credited her government’s policies that have successfully reduced poverty rates, improved food production, provided housing for landless families, and increased electricity access.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Hasina also addressed the issue of corruption during the BNP’s regime and expressed her government’s determination to recover money siphoned off by BNP leaders to foreign countries. She criticized Khaleda Zia’s family, particularly her sons Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman Koko, for their involvement in corruption, which led to the World Bank discontinuing financial support for the BNP due to corruption in the road sector.
Despite challenges in recovering funds from abroad, the Prime Minister acknowledged the success in bringing back Tk 40 crore laundered by Tarique and Koko. She reiterated her government’s dedication to creating employment opportunities and support entrepreneurs through various stimulus packages and training initiatives to further reduce the country’s unemployment rate, which currently stands at 3 percent.
Over the past 14 and a half years of her government’s tenure, Bangladesh has made significant advancements in various sectors, transforming the nation’s socio-economic landscape. Under the Awami League’s leadership, the country has witnessed substantial positive changes and remains steadfast in its commitment to further progress.
Leaders of the quota reform movement have resolutely refused to negotiate with the government, insisting that their movement will persist until their demands are met.
In a Facebook post, Hasnat Abdullah, a coordinator of the movement, declared, “No discussion through stepping onto blood.”
Asif Mahmud, another prominent leader, echoed this sentiment, stating, “There can be no dialogue with bullets. I would prefer death over this betrayal.”
He further elaborated, “On one side, there are bullets. On the other, there is a call for dialogue. We can’t sit for dialogue while stepping onto the blood of our brothers.”
Earlier, leaders of the quota reform movement accused the government of escalating the law and order situation towards violence, asserting that their movement was peaceful until the government’s intervention.
Vowing to continue their struggle, Asif Mahmud stated, “We will continue our protests till we achieve our demands for reformation of the quota system, reopening of the halls and campuses, making university campuses terror-free, withdrawing political forces from the campuses, and punishing the killers and attackers.”
He added, “The people of the country have encircled those who tried to corner us. No conspiracy will be able to derail our movement.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged both local and international investors to invest in the extraction of marine resources from Bangladesh’s extensive sea areas.
“In order to fortify the blue economy through the diverse utilization of our marine resources, I call upon local and foreign investors to seize the opportunity to invest in Bangladesh. This will enable us to harness more of our marine resources,” she announced.
The Prime Minister made these remarks during the inauguration of the Bangladesh International Aquaculture and Seafood Show-2024 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in Dhaka.
She emphasized the importance of adhering to proper standards in the collection, distribution, and processing of fish to boost exports, aiming to make fish the country’s second-largest source of foreign currency.
Sheikh Hasina pointed out that her government has made limited progress in harvesting fish and other sea resources from the deep sea due to a lack of interest from local investors.
“Therefore, we need foreign investment to advance in this area. This is the reality we must face,” she noted.
She also suggested that both local and foreign investors can collaborate in joint ventures or invest separately in this sector to achieve better results.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecasted light to moderate and moderately heavy rainfall or thundershowers, accompanied by temporary gusty winds, across all eight divisions of the country over the next 24 hours, starting from 9 am today.
In its weather bulletin issued this morning, the BMD stated, “Light to moderate rain or thundershowers with temporary gusty wind is expected in a few places over Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions. Additionally, one or two places in Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, and Barisal divisions may experience similar conditions, with moderately heavy falls anticipated at several locations in Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions.”
The bulletin also highlighted that the current mild heat wave sweeping across the Rangpur division and the districts of Tangail, Chuadanga, Rajshahi, Pabna, Bogra, and Netrokona may persist.
Daytime temperatures are expected to rise slightly, while nighttime temperatures are likely to remain nearly unchanged throughout the country.
On Wednesday, the highest recorded temperature was 36.7 degrees Celsius, observed in Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Rajarhat. The lowest temperature recorded today was 26.0 degrees Celsius, noted in Bandarban and Teknaf.
Over the last 24 hours, rainfall amounted to 16 mm in Bandarban.
For the capital, the sun will set at 6:48 pm today and rise at 5:21 am tomorrow.
