"People will get electricity, but have to maintain austerity"

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (October 19, 2022) said that people are getting electricity even though the government has imposed some austerity measures amid global crisis.

"People are getting electricity and will get it, but all have to maintain austerity," she said.

"We are also maintaining austerity in some cases. We are compelled to do so for the present situation," she said while inaugurating the installation of a reactor pressure vessel at the second unit of the 2,400 MW Rooppur nuclear power plant (RNPP).

She joined the programme virtually from her official residence Gono Bhaban while it was held at Ishwardi of the northern district of Pabna.

The prime minister said her government has fulfilled its promise of providing electricity to all.

"We have kept our promise. We have been able to reach electricity to every house of Bangladesh," she said.

In this connection, she that the current problem has arisen due to a war like situation in the world and COVID-19 pandemic.

"…prices have gone up in everything including transportation. As a result, the developed countries are suffering from various problems," she said.

She went on saying that the developed countries also have focused on savings in every sphere of life. "We are also doing that," said.

"Because the world is now a global village one is dependent on another. When the world is suffering from economic recession that blow also comes to us," she said.

As a result, she went on, "We have also started maintaining austerity."

"That does not mean, people of the country will not get electricity," she said.

She once again blamed the Russia-Ukraine war and subsequent sanctions for compounding the problems.

"I hope that the world will get relief from this situation very quickly," she added.

Science and Technology Minister Yeafesh Osman, Director General of Russia's Rosatom State Corporation Alexey Likhachev and Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology Ziaul Hasan also spoke at the event.

A documentary on the RNPP was also screened at the programme.