Govt plans to bring down poverty rate to a level less than US: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Sunday the government's target is to bring down the country's poverty rate to a level less than what the USA has, reports UNB.
"At present, we've brought down the poverty rate to 21.8 per cent. I've a target to reduce it further. The poverty rate in the USA may be 17/18 per cent. I'll have to cut down it to at least one per cent less than that in the USA, at any cost," she said.
The Prime Minister made the remarks while addressing the closing ceremony of the 110th, 111th and 112th Law and Administration Courses at Bangladesh Civil Service Administration Academy in the city.
She urged the public servants to cope with the constantly changing technology and environment at workplaces. "The present world is changing constantly with invention of new technology. Many changes occur also at workplaces. You've to catch up with it," she said.
Sheikh Hasina, also the Public Administration Minister, asked the civil servants to render services showing affection and love for the country and its people.
About the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the 2019-20 fiscal year, the Prime Minister said now the government has undertaken massive development projects.
Referring to the development projects she said, "You'll have to pay greater attention to your duties always so that militancy, terrorism, corruption and drug can't destroy our society."
Bangladesh Awami League was founded to establish the rights of people. "That's why the fate of people is changed (improved) when AL comes to power," she said.
Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh will be built as a developed, prosperous and peaceful country in South Asia by 2041.
Bangladesh is progressing in every arena as Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman liberated the country, she said.
During the recent OIC conference, the Pakistan prime minister wanted to know about the amount of reserve and the size of budget of Bangladesh, she said.