DHAKA, May 18, (V7N )— Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said today that Bangladesh is steadily emerging as the next major investment destination, driven by the government’s reform initiatives, leadership commitment, fast decision-making, and ambitious development agenda.
Speaking at a press briefing after the day’s National Economic Council (NEC) meeting, he said the government’s Tk 3,00,000 crore Annual Development Programme (ADP) is designed to lift the economy out of fragility through large-scale investment and job creation.
“If aspirations are not high, development cannot move forward,” he said, responding to questions about whether the new ADP is overly ambitious. “To move forward from the setbacks and stagnation of previous years, investment is essential. Without investment there will be no growth, no employment and no development,” he added.
The minister said the government is confident about implementing the large development budget due to stronger political commitment and administrative efficiency under an elected government. “This is a matter of commitment. We have already shown within three months that we can take decisions quickly and implement them,” he said.
Explaining the decision to adopt a large ADP despite inheriting a fragile economy, he compared it to priming a tube-well. “When the water level in a tube-well goes down, water has to be poured into it before water starts flowing again. Likewise, without injecting investment.
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