Parliament Correspondent

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wdnesday said special measures taken by her government in view of Covid-19 pandemic to protect people’s lives and tackle the economic crisis have helped Bangladesh escape the ongoing global financial setback.

“Government’s special measures in tackling the crisis rendered by the deadly coronavirus have kept the country’s economy normal,” she said in parliament.

The Leader of the House said this in reply to the tabled questions from lawmakers Kazim Uddin Ahmed of Mymensingh-11 and Begum Rawshan Ara Mannan (Female Seat-47).

Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury chaired the sitting of the eleventh session of the 11th Jatiya Sangsad.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh would be the 25th largest economy by 2035 if its present economic evolution continues according to the Economic League Table of the British economic research organization –Centre for Economics and Business Research.

She said the report was mainly prepared based on the prediction of different countries’ growth rate in coming year and in the next 15 years. As per the index of 2020, Bangladesh is now the 41th largest economy globally.

The premier said Bangladesh has overcome in many ways although the Covid-19 has rendered an economic crisis to many countries. In 2020, Bangladesh registered a 5.24 percent growth rate while 8.15 percent growth was posted in 2019, which was the highest in the country’s history, she added.

She said the government from the beginning of Covid-19 outbreak handled the situation cautiously and that is why Bangladesh has comparatively witnessed more success in terms of number of Covid-19 infected patients, death rate and economic losses.

Talking about Covid-19 vaccine, Sheikh Hasina said the vaccine procurement process is underway and the vaccination would start arriving soon.

In replying to a query from Shamim Haider Patwary of Gaibandha-1, the Prime Minister said the government has taken various measures to create new job opportunities and sent the migrant workers to different countries, especially those who were terminated and stranded in the country after return during the Covid-19.