Mega projects will transform Bangladesh economy, declares PM
PBC News: In dispelling the confusion being spread about the mega projects being implemented in the country Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday reaffirmed that her government remains cautious so the loans don’t become a burden, reports UNB.
“Once these (mega) projects are implemented, the face of our economy will change. We’re taking loans from domestic and foreign sources. However, we’ve a careful eye so that they do not become a burden,” she said in an address to the nation on the eve of Pahela Boishakh, the Bangla New Year’s Day.
The address was telecast live by Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar and also private TV channels.
The nation is set to celebrate the Pahela Boishakh 1429 on Thursday amid traditional cultural festivities.
About the mega projects, Sheikh Hasina said the Padma Bridge is being constructed with own funds as no loan was taken. Other mega projects were undertaken through economic studies by local and foreign experts. And many projects are being implemented on the basis of foreign partnerships.
“Our main goal is to accelerate economic activities, create employment, increase resources and make the lifestyle of people easier through infrastructure development,” she said.
The prime minister said 2022 and 2023 will be milestones for Bangladesh in terms of infrastructure development. The much-desired Padma Bridge will come into operation in just a few months. The bridge is expected to contribute 1.2 per cent to GDP, she said.
She said the Metrorail will be launched on the 14-km Uttara-Agargaon route by the end of this year. It is expected to bring a revolutionary change in the transport system in the capital, she added.
The country’s first underwater tunnel, Karnaphuli River Tunnel in Chattogram, will be opened in October next, said Hasina.
The first unit (with capacity of 1,200-megawatt) of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, the largest development project in the country’s history at a cost of Tk 1.13 trillion, is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2023, she said.
Last month, the 1,320-megawatt Payra power plant was inaugurated ahead of the deadline. “The implementation of other mega projects is progressing fast,” she said.
She said Bangladesh’s economy stood on a strong foundation in the last 13 years, which is evident in different macroeconomic indexes. The GDP was only US$102 billion in 2009, which rose to US$416 billion last year. The per capita income was increased to US$2,591 now from only US$702, she said.
She said these achievements have been made possible thanks to far-sighted political thoughts and the implementation of far-sighted economic programmes. “Today, Bangladesh has become a ‘role model’ of development as a result of running the country with participation of the people, upholding the democratic trend,” she said.
On commodity prices the prime minister said her government is trying best to bring relief to the public.
She said the coronavirus pandemic, Russia-Ukraine war, and the emerging situation caused by the war have led to instability in commodity prices in the world market.
