ZCZC
BSS-12
PM-ARMY-2 LAST DHAKA
Sheikh Hasina said her government has taken all effective measures for development, expansion and modernisation of the army.
The Forces Goal 2030 is now being executed aimed at enhancing professional excellence and human resources development of the armed forces, she added.
“I personally think myself as a sebak (service provider) not prime minister,” she said, adding that her government wants to run the country as the people’s servant, not as ruler.
Describing becoming a developing country as an achievement, she said, “The country has achieved 8.13 percent GDP growth and targeted to achieve 8.2 percent growth in the FY 2019-2020. We will make double digit GDP growth in the days to come.”
She said, “The GDP growth will increase further once the mega projects are implemented.”
The government has given the biggest ever budget of Taka 5,23,190 crore in the FY 2019-2020 and Annual Development Programme of over Taka 2 lakh crore as part of the foresighted plan, she said.
“We have been preparing the plan for sector-wise development of the country since we were in the opposition,” she continued.
The premier stressed the need for proper implementation of the budget as the people will get the benefit of it, asking the authorities concerned to control the inflation rate with the rising trend of GDP growth.
She said: “There was always a 5 percent deficit in the budgets in the past and it had never crossed the limit.”
The people are now coming out of the poverty line due to huge development works to transform Bangladesh into a developed, prosperous and hunger-free country, the premier said, adding that five crore people have so far been brought under the Social Safety Net programme.
Regarding women empowerment, she said, “Bangladesh is well ahead (in comparison to many other countries) in terms of achieving women empowerment. The recently held (14th)) OIC conference recently (at Makkah in Saudi Arabia) has appreciated our women empowerment situation.”
About her return to the country, the premier said, “I returned to the country in 1981 as the confidence and trust of the people in me are the main driving forces.”
“An adverse situation had been prevailing in the country when I returned home. As many as 19 coups had taken place after 1975,” she continued.
“The people lacked confidence when I had returned home. But that situation is not prevailing now,” she said.
BSS/AHJ/GA/1759 hrs