Poverty rate at 24.5pc: Muhith

Finance Minister AMA Muhith informed the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) on Tuesday that the country's poverty rate was estimated currently at 24.5 per cent as per the mid-term implementation report 2014 on the

Sixth Five-Year Plan, reports BSS.

"Besides, the poverty rate, according to Household Income and Expenditure Survey conducted in 2000, was 48.9 per cent but this rate came down to 31.5 per cent in 2010. The poverty rate reduced by 17.4 per cent in last one decade," he said responding to a question of opposition bench member MA Hannan of Mymensingh-7 during the question and answer session in the House with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.

The minister said the incumbent government had taken various pragmatic steps to alleviate the poverty rate identifying some factors which would help reduce poverty in the days ahead.

In reply to another query of lawmaker Didarul Alam of Chittagong-4, Muhith said the Bangladesh House Building Finance Corporation (BHBFC) had a plan to bring rural areas under its home loan coverage for constructing modern multi-storied residential houses through a project titled "Financial and Technical Assistance for Rural Housing of Bangladesh".

"It's at the final stage," he added.