WB estimation shows poverty rate declines in BD: Hasan

Polls will be held like other democratic countries, he says

FE Team | Published: July 18, 2022 23:02:01

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Monday said World Bank assessment showed that the poverty rate has declined in Bangladesh even during the COVID-19 pandemic, reports BSS.
"The report of the World Bank styled 'Bangladesh Development Update-Recovery and Resilience amid Global Uncertainty' has said that the poverty rate in Bangladesh has declined to 11.9 per cent in the fiscal year 2021 due to economic recovery even in the COVID-19 situation which was 12.5 per cent in 2020 fiscal," he said.
Hasan told reporters at a view-exchange meeting in the meeting room of his ministry at the Secretariat in the capital.
According to a report of the IMF, he said, the position of Bangladesh's economy is the 41st among the 50 countries in the world. And, the economy of the country is better in terms of the PPP (Purchasing Power Parity), he added.
Mentioning that the country is marching toward prosperity despite the COVID-19 situation, Hasan said but BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is claiming that the poverty rate is 42 per cent in the country.
He said the country's poverty rate was 42 per cent when Begum Khaleda Zia was in power.
"Mirza Fakhrul is still living in the era of Begum Zia," said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.
He said the foreign currency reserve was three billion dollars during BNP's regime. The government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has increased the reserve to 48 billion dollars, he added.
He said some amount from the reserve have been incurred due to price hikes in the products, fuel and transportation across the world. And with the rest reserve amounting to 40 billion, Bangladesh would be able to maintain import expenditure in the next six months.
The minister said it is comfortable for any country to have foreign reserves equal to their 3-month-import expenditure and Bangladesh has six months' reserve.
Hasan said the country became champions in corruption for the five consecutive times during the Begum Khaleda Zia's regime and the BNP-Jamaat government had realized illegal toll from every business by establishing 'Hawa Bhaban'.
It is not appropriate for Mirza Fakhrul to provide untrue statements as he is a responsible leader and secretary general of a political party, he added.