Govt doesn't waste a single paisa from reserve: PM
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday (12 November) refuted BNP leaders' propaganda on the foreign currency reserve, saying the Awami League government never wastes a single paisa from it and rather use money for the country and its people's interests.
"The Awami League government does not waste a single paisa of the country. It spends every penny for the interest and welfare of the people," she said while inaugurating the construction of the 24km long Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway involving Tk17,553.4 crore.
The prime minister said the BNP leaders are always raising questions on the expense of the reserve money and trying to mislead the nation by giving false information.
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"No money from the reserve money is misappropriated. They [BNP leaders] are always talking about this as their leader Tarique Rahman was awarded seven years' imprisonment and Tk20 core penalty in a money laundering case," she said.
The PM virtually joined the inaugural function held at the Construction Yard near Ashulia Bazar in Savar from Ganabhaban.
The prime minister said her government is using the reserve money to meet the import expenses – purchasing food, fuel, edible oil, wheat, capital machinery, cancer medicines and Covid-19 vaccines – despite the skyrocketing prices of goods, fuel and transportation caused by global high inflation and economic meltdown stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic, Russia-Ukraine war, sanctions and counter-sanctions.
Sheikh Hasina said the government has to purchase Covid-19 vaccines in cash and is giving the vaccines to the masses alongside conducting the coronavirus tests free using the reserve money.
She said Bangladesh has later got donations of the Covid-19 vaccines from various countries.
"No developed country administered Covid-19 vaccines to their citizens free of cost," she said.
The government has purchased planes for Bangladesh Biman and is dredging rivers using the reserve money, she said.
"We are investing some reserve money to keep our money within the country. Otherwise, we have to take loans from foreign banks and repay the debt by dollars with interests," she said.
The PM said they have given some money to Sri Lanka from the reserve after it fell into crisis.
Bangladesh is a self-reliant country in food production, she said, but it had to import rice using the reserve money as the paddy fields were badly damaged during the recent flood and cyclone.
The PM said they would do nothing harmful for the country as her government is accountable to the people.
The reserve was only $2.9 billion when the BNP was in power; it increased to $5 billion during 2001-08, she said, adding that the present government has been able to raise it to $48 billion.
She said the $48 billion reserve was possible as communication, transportation and import were almost halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Referring to apprehension of a global famine, the prime minister reiterated her call to the countrymen to grow more food using every inch of land so no famine can hit Bangladesh.
About the Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway from Shahjalal International Airport to EPZ through Asulia, Sheikh Hasina said the project is taken mainly to make free Savar, Nabinagar, Ashilua and the North Bengal from traffic snarl and create uninterrupted communication on 44km highway up to Kutubkhali.
"Once completed, the expressway will boost the country's gross domestic product (GDP) 0.21 percent," she hoped.
The prime minister thanked the Chinese president for his support to Bangladesh's development including the construction of the Dhaka-Ashulia expressway.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader and Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming spoke at the function moderated by PM's Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus.
