Hasina rules out possibility of Sri Lanka-like crisis in Bangladesh

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today 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 in 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 organized jointly by Awami League’s Dhaka north and south city units at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre 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 large amounts of money as commission from a big project,” she added.

The prime minister 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 into 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 the misrule of the BNP regime, the Awami League 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. (Dhaka Tribune)