Corona turns world economy upside down: Finance Minister

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal has said the Asian Development Bank (ADB) had hinted the growth to be projected at 7.8%, according to the first 8 months of the year. But unfortunately, the coronavirus effect has completely turned the world economy upside down.

The Minister said this while placing the proposed national budget for or FY2020-21 in the Parliament on Thursday.

He said, “2020 is a very important year in our national life. The birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bengali nation of all time, is being observed this year. Due to the impacts of coronavirus outbreak, programmes are being celebrated digitally after reschedule, avoiding public gatherings. The celebration will continue till March 17, 2021.”

He further said, “The upcoming 2021 is golden jubilee of our independence. The birth centenary of the Father of the Nation and the golden jubilee of independence will be celebrated simultaneously. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is working tirelessly as a beacon for people of the country, in the way shown by the Father of the Nation, to establish the basic rights of all, including the economic emancipation of common people and the improvement of their living standard.”

Mustafa Kamal said, “As the current fiscal year includes the 100th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, so the year is special for the nation. We were all confident, this year will give the nation the best growth in our economy. In this case, our coveted target was 8.2% to 8.3%. We had also started at a beautiful and brilliant pace. Until the first 8 months of the fiscal year, when we were not heavily affected by coronavirus, we were able to hold a strong position in the economy. All the eminent think tanks and media in the world were full of praise for us. The ADB had predicted that our growth would be 7.8% as per the first 8 months of the year. But unfortunately, the coronavirus effect has completely turned the world economy upside down.”


Dhaka/Mamun/AKA