Political stability is vital for development, says PM

Bangladesh is able to develop when there is political stability, says Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

 “If we have political stability, we have seen that the country develops,” she said during a press conference to discuss the highlights of her recent visit to Qatar on Monday.

 “But we must be patient for it to take effect. Ultimately, the people will resolve any instability.”

Regarding criticism of her government’s handling of Bangladesh’s economic instability, the prime minister said: "We kept promises we made to people."

"We can at least claim that we set some targets for development and met the targets by the deadline. Now is the time to march on."

Bangladesh is not the only country facing economic difficulties due to the Russia-Ukraine war, said Hasina.

 “The whole world, not just Bangladesh, is facing the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war. Bangladesh is trying to recover from this,” she said after returning from the Fifth United Nations Conference of the Least Developed Countries.

Still, the government will do what it can to ensure that necessities are affordable during the coming month of Ramadan, she said.

 “Ramadan is a month for austerity. We're working to control prices during Ramadan by increasing supply through imports."

The prime minister said that there was a concern during the COVID pandemic about whether her government would be able to navigate its challenges, but "we managed to handle it".

Many people are hesitant about Bangladesh’s graduation from the Least Developed Country status, Hasina said, and many don’t take advantage of the benefits available to them.

But the government has succeeded regardless, she said.

"Bangladesh is regarded as a role model for development despite many hurdles, thanks to the continuation of a democratic process."

However, certain quarters are still trying to destabilise the country, she said.

 “They are trying to create instability,” Hasina said. “I believe they will not be able to achieve anything. The people will overcome any instability.”

There is a right to freedom of speech in the country, Hasina said.

 “Everyone has the right to speak. We hear criticism at home and abroad. We don’t retaliate against it.”

The press conference started at her official residence the Ganabhaban at 4:30pm on Monday.

Besides the opening session of the LDC conference, she attended several events in Doha.

The prime minister travelled to Qatar on Mar 4 on a four-day official trip to join the conference at the invitation of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.