Saleh Ahmed
Time and tide wait for none. Everything changes on its own course. Bangladesh is also changing remarkably under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, daughter of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. How can we forget the most defaming quote of the then US foreign Minister Henry Kissinger, who mentioned newly liberated Bangladesh as “bottomless basket” and in just three and half time tenure of our present prime minister, the world saw and heard the comment and suggestions recently made by former US president Mr Barak Obama in his speech to an African country “follow Sheikh Hasina, follow Bangladesh”. When Mr Obama said this ? While the whole world is being turmoiled by the attack of COVID followed by financial disasters.
We are proud of our loving and respected Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who has been relentlessly working to materialise the dream of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to transform Bangladesh into "Sonar Bangla" and to show the rest of the world who we are. "As the only female leader among the Organization of Islamic Cooperation member states, Hasina has deftly balanced the clashing demands of Islamic culture and women's rights," Fortune (i.e. American multinational business magazine) stated about Hasina. Fortune also stated that "She has pledged to provide legal rights for women and to assist them in gaining more education, financial freedom, and political influence in Bangladesh, the world's fourth-largest Muslim country. And about 30 per cent of adult women in Bangladesh now have at least a secondary education, and the country performs better than any other South Asian country on the World Economic Forum's Gender Gap Index". Sheikh Hasina, the leader of the Awami League and the daughter of the country's founding father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, is in her third term as Prime Minister.
Sheikh Hasina has emerged as a symbol of national unity and
cohesion. She is an epitome of female leadership and we are fortunate
enough to have such an amazing leader representing us in the world
Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque said that Barack Obama has asked the President of Kenya, his grandfather's country, to follow Sheikh Hasina, follow Bangladesh. The Minister further said that the United Nations has termed Bangladesh as a role model for the world. Bangladesh has earned 26 international recognitions from UN. In 50 years, other than us were in power, they could not bring any recognition for the country. Other parties had only earned the recognition of champions in Corruption.
The following is a chronology of Bangladesh's progress since Sheikh Hasina became Prime Minister:
Bangladesh has a strong track record of economic development and poverty alleviation. Over the last decade, it has been one of the world's fastest growing economies, owing to a demographic dividend, robust ready-made garment (RMG) exports, and stable macroeconomic conditions. Exports and consumption would continue to recover in fiscal year 2021-22, boosting growth rates to 6.4 percent. Bangladesh provides a stunning story of poverty reduction and progress to the rest of the globe. Bangladesh went from being one of the poorest countries in the world when it was founded in 1971, with the tenth lowest per capita GDP in the world, to becoming a lower-middle-income country in 2015. In 2026, it is expected to be removed from the UN's list of Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Based on the international poverty line of $1.90 per day, poverty decreased from 43.5 percent in 1991 to 14.3 percent in 2016. (using 2011 Purchasing Power Parity exchange rate). Furthermore, human development outcomes increased in many ways.
Bangladesh has had a long relationship with the World Bank since its independence. Since then, the World Bank has contributed more than $35 billion in grants, interest-free and concessional financing credits to Bangladesh through its concessional lending arm, the International Development Association (IDA). Bangladesh is currently one of the largest IDA recipients. Bangladesh's largest external backer, the World Bank, has provided almost a quarter of all foreign aid to the country. The World Bank Group is assisting Bangladesh in achieving its goal of becoming an upper-middle income country during the next decade through a comprehensive program of technical, analytical, and financial assistance. Economic development and growth, power, infrastructure, disaster management, climate change, human and social development, and poverty alleviation are all examples of government activities.
The Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for 2016-2020, published by the World Bank Group, lays out a strategy for assisting the country in achieving green, resilient, and inclusive development. Growth and competitiveness, social inclusion, and climate and environmental management are the three focus areas. It made adjustments in response to the issues posed by the flood of displaced Rohingya people, and proposed that human capital, climatic resilience, and digital transformation be prioritized. The government's Seventh Five-Year Plan lays the groundwork for the CPF framework. The World Bank Group is preparing the next Country Partnership Framework for Bangladesh for 2023-2027, which will support the Government of Bangladesh's Eighth Five-Year Plan, after comprehensive consultations with its stakeholders—government, civil society, and the private sector.
In conclusion, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh's longest-serving prime minister and the daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, deserves a great deal of credit for the country's remarkable achievements.
Sheikh Hasina has emerged as a symbol of national unity and cohesion. She represents a government that is constantly on the watch for anti-Bangladesh sentiments. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is an epitome of female leadership and we are fortunate enough to have such an amazing leader representing us in the world.
Saleh Ahmed is a Freelance Journalist.
