Govt implementing various programmes to achieve economic progress: PM

Bangladesh Awami League in light with the spirit of the country's War of Liberation,'Vision-2011" and 'Charter for Change' formed the past government to build a non-communal, progressive and modern Bangladesh free from hunger and poverty, she said.

Replying to a question from Treasury bench member Shamsul Haque Chowdhury, Sheikh Hasina, also the Leader of the House, said her government during its past tenure achieved tremendous successes in the overall socio- economic sector by implementation various uplift programmes.

She said the past Awami League government for the first time in the country's history has undertaken "Bangladesh Perspective Plan (2010-21) as a long term vision and "Sixth Five Year Plan" as a mid-term vision to achieve its coveted economic goals.

"We have already been able to achieve many development targets through planned development programmes. As a result, the rate of progress in the socio- economic sector has been accelerated to a greater extent," she added.

Mentioning various successes leading to further development, she said despite worldwide economic slowdown and other barriers, her government has been able to continue the trend of achieving more progress, increasing investment in public sector and maintaining macro-economic stability during the last few years.

"The present government has broken all previous records with regard to increasing domestic income and achieving progress in the national economy, she said in her replies to questions and supplementary in the House.

Citing data from Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, she said the total GDP was about 152 billion US Dollars in 2012-13 fiscal year while the amount in 2008-09 was only 100.77 billion US Dollars. In 2012-13 fiscal, the country achieved 6.18 percent GDP while the per capita income stood at 1,044 US Dollars.

"The average rate of progress during the last five years of the government was 6.33 percent which was much more than what was achieved by any previous government in the past in Bangladesh,"she said with confidence.

The Prime Minister said the present government immediately after assuming the office has attached utmost importance on implementation of six most important development projects aimed at further accelerating the economic progress of the country.

The First Track based six projects are- Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project, Ruppur Nuclear Power Plant Project, Rampal Coal-based Power Plant Project, Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Development (Metro Rail Project) Project, Sonadia Deep Sea Port,Coxsbazar project and L N G Terminal Construction Project.

Giving details in the parliament, Sheikh Hasina also referred to the long term economic planning of her government to turn Bangladesh into a middle-income country by 2021 and a developed nation by 2041.

The programmes include bringing down poverty at 13 percent by 2021, ensuring daily 2122 calorie per capita food intake by 2021,increasing contribution of industrial sector to national progress by 40 percent from the existing 25 percent, raising power production at 24,000 MW from 11,000 MW, broadening the size of national budget at 25 percent of the GDP from 18.7 percent in 2021 and raising revenue income at 20 percent from 14.1 percent of the GDP by 2021.