Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has said the extreme poverty rate of Bangladesh will be under 5% within five years.
The minister made the statement at a discussion meeting of the Bangabandhu Academy at the National Press Club marking the 38th Homecoming Day of Awami League president, and prime minister, Sheikh Hasina.
“Poverty is a curse, and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has always been working to abolish poverty from Bangladesh. In the last few years, the poverty rate decreased by more than 21%, and it will be under 5% within five years,” Momen said.
He said the poverty rate came down at 21.8% while the poverty rate, as per the lower poverty line or people living in extreme poverty, came down to 11.3% in 2018.
The minister also hoped that Bangladesh can attain the related SDG target by 2030 by eradicating poverty.
Acknowledging Sheikh Hasina as a blessing for Bangladesh, the minister said all of these successes were possible due to leadership of the prime minister.
He said: “In the last few years,the per capita income increased three times, with Bangladesh becoming self-sufficiency in food production.”
Momen furthered that Sheikh Hasina is also working towards the dream that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had - Sonar Bangla.
He urged people to pray for the good health of Sheikh Hasina so she can build a hunger- and poverty- free developed country.
On May 17 in 1981, Awami League president, and Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina returned to Bangladesh from India, nearly six years after the assassination of her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The assassination of the Father of the Nation and most of his family members by a group of army officers on August 15 had made it impossible for the two surviving daughters – Shiekh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana – to set foot on their motherland for years.
On August 15, 1975, they were in Germany. After 19 days they moved to India.
Sheikh Hasina landed in Dhaka from Delhi via Kolkata on May 17,1981 with her daughter and Awami League leaders to see a massive crowd of hundreds of thousands waiting for her return at the then Dhaka Airport in the capital.
