Govt efforts help BD attain LDC graduation criteria: PM

TUNGIPARA, Mar 17 (UNB): Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Saturday Bangladesh has become eligible to graduate to a developing country from the LDC group after meeting all the three criteria for the first time due to implementation of various development programmes by the government.
"We're implementing development programmes to build a country and a society from the rural level...the good result of those programmes is today we're a developing country," she said.
The Prime Minister said this while addressing a children's rally and cultural programme marking the 99th birthday of Father of the Nation and National Children's Day on Bangabandhu Mausoleum Complex.
The Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and Gopalganj district administration jointly organised the rally joined by students of different educational institutions of Tungipara, the birthplace of Bangabandhu.
The Committee for Development Policy (CDP), a United Nations panel, made an announcement at a meeting at the UN headquarters in New York on the country's eligibility to graduate to a developing country.
Sheikh Hasina, the eldest daughter of the Father of the Nation, said having the good news on the birthday of Bangabandhu is a great achievement for the country and its people.
"Like other South Asian countries such as India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan we're now a developing country leaving behind the Least Developed Country (LDC) status," she said adding, "We'll build the country as 'Sonar Bangla' as dreamt by the Father of the Nation."
The Prime Minister mentioned that necessary measures have been taken to make every district free from beggars and the government would ensure houses for each homeless and landless family.
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