Muhith: I don't want to take part in the next election

Finance Minister AMA Muhith has said he would like to take a break from his political career, and does not want to take part in the next parliamentary election. "I do not want to be a candidate in the next election; I want to take some time off, instead," the veteran Awami League leader said on Thursday, at the celebration of his 85th birthday in the Secretariat. However, he said his decision depended on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. "If the prime minister wants it, you cannot say no," he said. "I will be able to give more information in this regard in April." Speaking of serving the country, the minister said one did not necessarily have to be a minister to do it. "However, when you are in the position of a minister, you have a wider scope of serving the people." The finance minister said he believed that poverty can be eradicated from the country if the Awami League came to power once again. “Eliminating poverty is a big challenge, as 20 million people are still living under the poverty line in the country,” he remarked. The minister also mentioned the banking sector that is riddled with a host of problems, blaming both the public and the private sectors for the situation. "In this scenario, big investors should be given leeway. Punishing them for every single issue cannot be a solution,” he said.This article was first published on banglatribune.com