Referring to a World Bank (WB) report revealing further poverty reduction in Bangladesh, Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Saturday said this report had proved that some so-called research and social organizations had published fictitious and motivated reports of increasing poverty in the country during the Covid-19 to create confusion among the people.
"The report of the World Bank has proved that some of the country's so-called research and social organizations have published fictitious and motivated reports of increasing poverty during the Covid-19 situation to create confusion among the people. I hope that the propagandas will be stopped now," he said.
The minister said this while exchanging views with journalists on the report 'Bangladesh Development Update- Recovery and Resilience amid Global Uncertainty' of the WB at his official residence at Mintu Road in the capital.
Hasan said the report stated that poverty in Bangladesh has reduced by 0.6% in 2021 than 2020 and the poverty now stands at 11.9% which was 12.5%. The WB report has proved that poverty has reduced in the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina amid the Covid-19 pandemic, he added.
He said the premier had run the country maintaining the economic advancement and combating coronavirus. And the country had benefited, said the Awami League joint general secretary.
The minister has said the WB report has said that poverty has reduced in the country while some newspapers have published that the poverty rate has increased. "So, I hope that the newspapers, which published fictitious and motivated reports on increasing poverty during the Covid-19, will be more cautious. And the ill efforts of creating confusion among the people will be stopped," he added.
In fact, he said the position of Bangladesh was third among the twenty countries which kept positive GDP growth during the Covid-19 pandemic. The World Bank report also said that the GDP growth was 6.4% in the 2021-22FY while it would increase to 6.9% in the next FY, he added.