Bangladesh's graduation to developing country a great achievement: PM

FT ONLINE

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today expressed her delight at Bangladesh's graduation to a developing country and said that it is a great achievement for the nation.

"Bangabandhu had dreamt of establishing a hunger and poverty-free Sonar Bangla ... we have been able to achieve its one step advancement and I think the news of graduation of Bangladesh to a developing country is a great success for us," she said.

For this, the prime minister extended her heartiest congratulations to all.

Sheikh Hasina was addressing a children's rally and cultural function here on the occasion of the 99th birthday of Bangabandhu and the National Children's Day-2018.

The prime minister said: "Today, there is good news for us which we got on the birthday of the Father of the Nation. Today's Bangladesh is the result of the efforts which we made so far." 

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh, which was a least developed country, is now recognised by the United Nations as a developing country.

She said Bangladesh's neighbouring countries like India, Sri Lanka and even Pakistan have been graduated to a developing country. "We have so far been one step backward. Today we received the news that we are not lagging behind," she said.

The prime minister said Bangladesh will now move ahead keeping pace with other countries of the region.

Bangladesh has become eligible to graduate to a developing country from a least developed one as it has met all the three criteria for the first time for getting out of the LDC bloc.

The Committee for Development Policy (CDP), a United Nations panel, made an announcement on the country's eligibility at a meeting at the UN headquarters in New York on Friday.