Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told the students and scholars of Columbia University in New York that Bangladesh has now become a role model for the world in terms of development. We are now the 35th largest economy in the world.
By 2037 we will be the 20th. Also, by 2026 we will become a developing nation. By 2041, we expect to build a prosperous and smart Bangladesh.
She said this to Bangladeshi students and scholars in a virtual speech at a function organized by 'Bangladesh Pratidin' at New York's Columbia University on Thursday (September 21).
At the event, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, I came into politics for realizing my father's dream. My dream was to make Bangladesh a happy, prosperous country where every citizen can lead a normal life. You will be happy to know that we have come a long way towards fulfilling this dream. By 2026 we will become a developing nation. By 2041, we expect to build a prosperous and smart Bangladesh.
She said, in the last 14 and a half years since 2009, the country has prospered through massive socio-economic changes for the welfare of my party Bangladesh Awami League. Bangladesh has now become a world role model in terms of development. We are now the 35th largest economy in the world. By 2037 we will be the 20th. Significant progress has been made in poverty alleviation. In 2006, the poverty rate was 41.5 percent. In 2022, this rate has come down to 18.7 percent. The extreme poverty rate is now 5.6 percent. Per capita income stands at 2 thousand 760 dollars.
She also said that before the corona pandemic, our GDP stood at 6.7 percent. During the corona pandemic, where the production of other countries was decreasing, our economic growth was 3.45 percent. Now the growth rate has increased to 7 percent. GDP growth in the industrial sector increased from 22 percent to 37 percent.
Sheikh Hasina said that the average life expectancy in 2006 was 59 years. Now our average life expectancy is 73 years. At the same time, infant mortality and maternal mortality rates have decreased rapidly. Bangladesh is now at the top in terms of gender equality in South Asia. Bangladesh's GDP is now 465 billion US dollars. But in 2006 the size of GDP was only 60 billion dollars. Export income increased to 60 billion dollars. The unemployment rate has dropped to 3.2 percent. The literacy rate has increased to 75.6 percent. Since 1997, we have provided free land and houses to more than 840,000 landless and homeless families. Last month we launched the country's first universal pension.
Addressing the students, Sheikh Hasina further said that these changes did not come suddenly. Our determined people, smart planning and operations have been instrumental in driving this change. Bangladesh was once a colony of Britain, then a province of Pakistan. After the partition of India-Pakistan in 1947, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman started a brilliant movement against the Pakistani rulers. Finally, after a long struggle of 23 years and nine months of bloody independence war led by Bangabandhu, Bangladesh was won in 1971.
She said, when the Father of the Nation was working to rebuild the war-torn country, he and most of my family members were brutally murdered on August 15, 1975. The massacre was carried out by the defeated forces of the war of independence. After the assassination of the Father of the Nation, Bangladesh came under military rule for 21 years. Due to which the fortunes of the people did not improve much. After a long struggle of 21 years my party Bangladesh Awami League was elected in 1996. In the next five years, we were able to build a strong foundation in the socio-economic transformation of the country. We transferred power peacefully in 2001. Then we plunged into another dark period of murder, terror, corruption and military intervention.
Sheikh Hasina said, I had to live as a refugee for six years. I returned to the country in 1981 thinking about the democratic rights of the people. My journey was not easy. At least 19 attempts were made to kill me. The grenade attack of 21 August 2004 was one of them. In this attack, 22 leaders and activists of my party died and more than 500 were injured.
The Prime Minister urged the Bangladeshi students to work for the country and said, "Don't forget the motherland." After all, the motherland is our identity. Your talent, knowledge and skills will be utilized for the welfare of the country. You can do it wherever you want.