Sheikh Hasina offers her grand vision on the economy

Sheikh Hasina offers her grand vision on the economy

December 24, 2008

Terming Awami League's election pledges Vision 2021: The Charter for Change, party president Sheikh Hasina yesterday said if voted to power, private sector would be the catalyst for the country's economic development. This would transform Bangladesh into a prosperous and self-reliant nation, she added.

The Awami League President was addressing a view-exchange meeting of the country's business leaders, which was organised by Awami League at a city hotel and titled Charter for Change: Role of the Private Sector.

FBCCI president Annisul Haque, former FBCCI president and AL president Sheikh Hasina's private sector development affairs adviser Salman F Rahman, former FBCCI president Yusuf Abdullah Haroon and Women's Chamber of Commerce president Selima Ahmed also spoke at the meeting.

AL President and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said if elected, her government would open the key sectors like power, and infrastructure development to private sector investment.
Seeking support of the business community in the coming parliamentary polls, Sheikh Hasina said the main focus of her party would be the improvement of the power and the infrastructure sectors as well as creation of the local market for local products with a view to alleviating poverty.

In this connection she mentioned that the private sector would be invited to build and operate some crucial projects envisaged by her party including elevated expressway from Gazipur to Dhaka, a world class airport, and deep-sea port.
She said that during its previous tenure, the Awami League government made all- out efforts to provide a congenial atmosphere for doing business.

"If voted to power, we would ensure an enabling environment for you. We would not treat any businessman in the light of political affiliation, we will treat one if he or she is a good entrepreneur or not," she said adding that during the last BNP government's rule many businessmen were harassed for their affiliation with opposition parties.

Sheikh Hasina said that boosting up of the rural economy would be one of the priorities for her party if it assumed power.
There should be a farm in each household and the products these farms produced would be exported abroad, she said outlining her vision on enhancing the rural economy.

She said agro-processing and food processing industries would be promoted to infuse life into the rural economy.
The AL President said the private sector could come forward to set up solar energy plants on a massive scale and to invest in alternative power generation schemes.

The rivers and streams in our country can also be a good source of hydro electricity; she said adding that if voted to power her government would also concentrate on setting up gas and coal-based power plants by exploring gas and coals through strengthening the BAPEX.

Sheikh Hasina said social development would be the sector, where the government would have the main thrust. Rest of the sectors would be open to the privet sector investment. Criticizing the closure of Adamjee Jute Mills by the previous government, she said that this was like chopping off the head to get rid of headache.

In response to a plea from the FBCCI president that the business community who wanted the assurance that they would be able to do business without paying bribe and without fearing the political goons, Sheikh Hasina admonished the business community for bribing for securing works at the earliest possible time. “Some of you have distorted the concerned people's nature by bribing them to get works done quickly," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said that the culture of political violence was created by the military dictators.

"I had to go to jail for uttering such remarks but I shall continue to tell the truth as I believe in democracy. Only democracy can ensure the right of the people," she added.

Regarding business community's plea for stopping the culture of hartal, Sheikh Hasina said her government had to face 308 days of hartal in its 5-year tenure. But, despite that, the economic development was tremendous.

Referring a party's election slogan, she said that though a party raised the slogan "save the country, save the people", when they were in power their main motto was to "sell the country, kill the people and siphon off the embezzled money abroad."

Terming the solution of the power crisis as one of her party's utmost priorities, she said that if voted to power her government would explore multi-dimensional opportunities to generate power within the shortest possible time.

Criticizing the present government, she said that although there was no hartal during this government's tenure in the last two years, the business community could not do their business smoothly as "they experienced a sense of panic all along."

She said that her main philosophy is to create a poverty-free Bangladesh and for this the proper contribution of the business community as well as the private sector was essential.

She said that Bangladesh had the geopolitical potential to be the bridge between the East and the West and the private sector could play a pivotal role in assisting the government in implementing the vision.

Listing the achievements of Awami League in governing the country during the 1996-2001 period, she said that the country had a food surplus during that time.

Inflation was reduced to 1.9 per cent from 5 per cent and GDP was increased from 4 per cent to 6.9 per cent, she said adding that her party had the expertise in handling inflation very well.

Sheikh Hasina said that if inflation remained low, then people got the benefit of the GDP growth and if the people did not have sufficient purchasing power, no development could bring any good to them.

Emphasizing the IT education for all she said that though her government took an initiative to provide computers in 10 thousand schools, the next government cancelled the programme.

She also noted that the businessmen should go for market and product diversification for boosting exports as dependence on a handful of products might not be sustainable in the long run.

The business chiefs thanked the AL president for her time and her adviser on private sector development affairs Salman F Rahman for organising the meeting with them.

Addressing the function FBBCI president Annisul Huq said that AL president's presence among them was the reflection of her sincerity and seriousness in promoting the private sector.

Former FBCCI president Yusuf Abdullah Haroon said that the Awami League president has the vision and leadership which is very much needed to anchor the country towards its desired destination.

"I am confident that as Bangabandhu led the nation to its freedom, you will lead us towards economic freedom," he said.

AL president's private investment affairs adviser Salman F Rahman said that the main objective for organizing the meeting was to seek the guidance of the AL president about the role of the private sector in implementing the Vision 2021.
Former FBCCI director and president of Women Entrepreneurs Association of Bangladesh Selima Ahmed also spoke on the occasion.

She listed a string of challenges faced by the business community including power crisis, lack of infrastructure, traffic congestion and harassment by customs in the seaport.

Source>
http://www.albd.org/