People reaping benefits of democracy: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the people of the country are now reaping the benefits of democracy as they got back their state power from the cantonment.

"Military dictators had grabbed the state power frequently in the past ... once the state power was in the cantonment ... As a result, there was no [required] pace in development," she said.

The PM said this while addressing the National Economic Council meeting virtually from the Gono Bhaban.

The meeting approved the 8th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025).

As the state power came back to the mass people, they are now enjoying their democratic rights fully, Hasina said.

"General people are getting the benefits ... rural people are getting the benefits ... that's the main thing," she said.

Hasina said she believes that the 8th Five-Year Plan will be very much effective in attaining the country's desired development.

In this connection, she mentioned that the government is implementing the UN-formulated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). "But coronavirus has created a problem, this is not for us alone, it's for the whole world."

Hasina said the government has been able to reduce the poverty rate significantly, while the GDP has been great, enabling Bangladesh to fulfil all the criteria to emerge as a developing country. "But coronavirus stalled everything."

The PM said when the entire world got stalled completely, Bangladesh had been able to carry on its economic advancement -- at least on a limited scale. "Maybe we couldn't achieve the fixed goals."

Hasina said the GDP target for Bangladesh was 8.2 percent for the last fiscal year, but there was a pandemic across the world and the global economy had come to a standstill. "As in the global village, Bangladesh also faced some problems."

The PM went on, saying, "Taking risks, all are working in their respective fields. As a result, we've been able to maintain the pace of advancement."

She expressed her gratitude to the people of the country for electing her government for the third consecutive time and for that it has been able to take long-term development plans for the country.

Hasina said the government has taken up five-year plans, Vision 2021 and Vision 2041, apart from Delta Plan 2100.

"To execute these visions and plans what we need is the five-year plans. We've implemented the 6th and 7th five-year plans, we're undertaking the 8th Five-Year Plan today [yesterday], we'll take ahead the development phase by phase for the Vision 2041," she said.

By the time, she mentioned that the government will need to implement more five-year plans.

"We'll be able to build Bangladesh as a developed and prosperous country if future governments, no matter whether we'll be there in power, formulate these five-year plans," she said.