Muhith swipes at CPD over GDP estimate remark

Finance Minister AMA Muhith came down heavily on civil society think tank Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) for its comment on GDP estimate and termed it totally unexpected, according to a news agency.
“CPD’s complaint is very illogical. It’s totally unexpected. It’s such a stupid complaint…,” he told reporters at a post-budget press conference at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the city Friday.
The Finance Minister came up with the angry remark when a reporter sought his comment saying CPD thinks the provisional GDP growth figure (6.12 per cent) cited by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) for the outgoing fiscal year was a manipulated one. Muhith said the GDP (gross domestic product) growth calculation is not an easy job and it is done by the BBS.
He said the government does not interfere in the growth calculation process. “BBS officials are here. They can say whether there was any pressure (from govt) on them.”
The Finance Minister said the person who came up with such an allegation has actually got it in his own mind as the government does not manipulate BBS data.
Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Planning Minister AHM Mostofa Kamal, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu and State Minister for Finance MA Mannan were also present at the press conference.