Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday made it clear that Bangladesh will never face an economic crisis like Sri Lanka as her government has been developing the country in a planned way.
“There is no use of making false accusations against us. Bangladesh will never become Sri Lanka and it can’t be,” she said.
The premier was addressing a commemorative meeting organised jointly by Awami League’s Dhaka north and south city units at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre here to mark the National Mourning Day of August 15, the day the country’s founding leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated along with most members of his family in 1975.
Hasina, who is also the president of governing Awami League, said her government has been placing the budget in planned ways for the continuation of the country’s economic development.
She said every development project is taken considering its economic return in the country.
“Before taking every development plan, we think how it will help benefit the country and its people once it is completed. We don’t at all think about getting a large amount of money as commission from a big project,” she said. “Sheikh Hasina doesn’t take any project thinking in this way (to get money as commission),” she added.
The PM said Bangladesh has been repaying the foreign debts in time. “We don’t eat ghee (clarified butter) by borrowing money. The amount of our debts is not so high that we would fall in (the debt) trap of anyone,” she said.
She, however, said Bangladesh had to face a Sri Lanka-like situation during the 2001-2006 regime of BNP, but her government has pulled the country out from that state.
Citing misrule of BNP regime, the AL chief said when BNP was in power, Bangladesh became the champion in corruption five times, and prices of essential commodities were soaring, there was scarcity of electricity, water and employment, the country witnessed militancy, violence and grenade attacks.
Enough kindness shown to Khaleda: PM
Noting that BNP is now staging a drama over sending Khaleda Zia abroad for treatment, the PM said the BNP leader, convicted of corruption, has been shown enough kindness.
“She (Khaleda) has been shown much kindness. It is not possible to show more compassion towards her,” she said, adding that Khaleda has been allowed to stay in her house by exercising PM’s executive authority considering her age, sickness and sufferings in the jail.
Khaleda, the PM said, goes to hospital wearing makeup and well dressed, and on the other hand, her doctor reports that her condition is very bad and her liver has been seriously damaged. Everyone knows what (drink/food) causes the liver to rot quickly, she added.
She once again alleged that Khaleda patronised the killers of her (PM’s) parents, backed attempts to kill her and insulted her during the death of Koko (the younger son of Khaleda).
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