PM in JS questions report that NGOs helped reduce poverty 1pc a year
Hasina slams those bemoan
lack of democracy
UNB
Hurling questions at the role of NGOs in poverty alleviation in the country, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said Bangladesh would be totally free from poverty by now if it was reduced by 1 per cent every year through their activities. The Leader of the House said this taking part in the discussion on the thanksgiving motion on the presidents speech in parliament, reports UNB. Citing a recent media report that each of Grameenbank and BRAC has alleviated poverty in the country by 1 per cent every year, the Prime Minister said there should have been no poverty in the country had they alleviated poverty by that rate every year.
Talking about the impacts of microcredit operations in the country, she reiterated her call to all concerned to conduct research to determine as to what extent poverty rate has been alleviated due to microcredit or whether poverty has been nurtured and those who lend microcredit have become wealthier as some 2,500 NGOs and some banks have long been operating microcredit services in the country.
Now were motivating people towards microsavings, she added. Coming down hard on those who bemoan the lack of democracy in the country, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said Bangladesh has been witnessing massive development as there is continuation of democratic process.
Theres been development because theres democracy in the country. Since, were running the country in a democratic process, the country has been witnessing development, she said, posing a question why the country could not attain such level of development in 21 years (when AL was not in power) that it saw over the last eight years.
She also asked the critics to answer this question before going for criticisms. Sheikh Hasina said her government has been able to carry out such massive development since it works for the welfare of the country and its people, and for changing the fate of the common people.
We believe in democracy and involve all people in each of our activity, she said, adding that her party could not assume office in 2001 as it did not give undertaking for selling gas to a neighbouring country. But, the BNP-Jamaat clique had done that.
The Prime Minister questioned the intention of those who are not satisfied even with such massive development, saying: What did they want?... countrys people to remain poor? But, their purposes saw no success as people are now getting jobs, their fates are being changed and theyre living a better life and that is why they (critics) couldnt like it.
She said when Bangladesh is being recognised worldwide as a role model of development, there are some quarters who are advocating that only development will not work, it has to be accompanied by democracy. I dont want to name those. But when there was emergency, Marshall Law or military regime, they considered such environment very democratic and started to lick the feet of those....
Hasina also questioned how they can criticise the government if there is no freedom of speech and a democratic environment in the country. What do they want -- development or democracy? Referring to the plan of establishing a mosque-cum-Islamic cultural centre in every upazila and district with the support from Saudi Arabia, Hasina said Islam is a religion of peace and it does not accept terrorism, militancy and killing of people.
