Thursday, July 12, 2012

Padma Bridge response Enthusiastic: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,Bangladesh


BANGLADESH NEWS

 Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said the people of the country was showing great enthusiasm to help after the government declared to build the Padma bridge on its own following cancellation of promised fund by the World Bank.

"A school boy called me and said he would save his allowance for tiffin and transportation for the Padma bridge. This is the kind of enthusiasm…," she said on Thursday.

Stressing the country should be self-reliant, Hasina said, "We only want progress… No more dependency… We liberated the country through a war. We want to do it on our own."

She was speaking at the 55th anniversary function of the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital.

The World Bank on Jun 29 cancelled its $1.2 billion loan to the $2.9 billion Padma bridge project alleging corruption, which Bangladesh refused. The Asian Development Bank (ADB), which promised $610 million for the project, also hinted of following the Washington-based global lender.

The Prime Minister on Sunday in Parliament announced that the government would build the bridge with its own fund as she outlined the project following the global lender's decision. The Cabinet also took a decision to this on Monday.

She also refused the corruption allegations, but given out two mobile numbers and an email address so that people could approach her directly if they found someone trying to take undue advantage using her name or that of her family members.

During her speech at Thursday's programme, she recalled that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1957 founded BSCIC aimed at developing local raw material-based small and cottage industries for rural development.

She praised the contribution of the BSCIC enterprises for the country's economic development and diversification and modernisation of industrial production. "The government has also undertaken massive development programmes to ensure progress of the 'BSCIC Industrial Towns'."

At the programme it was also mentioned that at least 400,000 people were currently employed at 74 BSCIC Industrial Towns with a total investment of around Tk 150 billion.

Every year BSCIC enterprises produce goods worth about Tk 290 billion, out of which products worth Tk 170 billion are exported.  

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