Bangladesh’s economy has begun to overcome the hurdles of the COVID-19 pandemic and has, once again, reached 7% GDP growth. Moreover, the provisional estimate for per capita income in 2021-22 was $2,824, up from $2,591, reads a Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics report. A record rise in remittances, strong performance from different social indicators, alongside a set of prudent policies to offset the shocks from Covid induced shutdown contributed largely to the continuous ride of the country with Honourable Prime Minister (HPM) Sheikh Hasina leading from the front.

Bangladesh’s export earnings jumped 51.18% year-on-year to $4.73 billion in April, thanks to a rise in apparel exports amid the recovery from the Covid-19 fallout. During the first 10 months of FY22 stretching from July to April, exports climbed 35.14% year-on-year to $43.34 billion, according to media reports. The first 10 months’ exports are 12% higher than FY21’s total export earnings of $38.76 billion. This figure serves as a strong testament to the story of remarkable rise the country has witnessed, thanks to the prudent leadership put in display by HPM Sheikh Hasina.

A move has been undertaken to strengthen the rural electricity distribution network in Dhaka and Mymensingh divisions to meet the increased demand for power alongside ensuring reliable and sustainable supply. Load on existing rural distribution system is rising day by day with the increase in commercial and industrial customers as the number of industries and business institutions are on the rise in rural areas. Once the project is implemented, it will be possible to cut system loss and ensure reliable, quality and uninterrupted power supply to 17.8 million customers of 25 Palli Bidyut Samities under the divisions.

HPM Sheikh Hasina asked all concerned particularly the parents to encourage their children to play outside, which would help boost children's physical and mental health alongside stopping their derailment. "Most of our children are passing most of their times in flats engaging with mobile phones, laptops and ipads, which is an ominous sign of their physical and mental health," she said. The Premier also called upon the patents to take initiatives for taking their children outside home to play or run which is a must for their mental and physical wellbeing.

HPM Sheikh Hasina has urged the US to think of Bangladesh as a potential partner for enhanced trade and investment, saying she expects to double the trade volume between the two countries. The prime minister made the statement in a meeting with the first executive business delegation of the US-Bangladesh Business Council in Dhaka this week. In a related development, the delegation has been reportedly looking for broader economic engagement with Bangladesh exploring additional ways to deepen the partnership, apparently in response to a “big push” for attracting foreign direct investment from major countries.

As part of its effort to transform the future of the country into a technologically advanced one the government has rolled out a scheme to set up 14 IT training and incubation centres. The project aims to create infrastructural facilities for conducting business activities of IT and Hi-Tech-related industries. Moreover, it will establish a link between the academia and the IT industry and create a platform for young entrepreneurs of the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector in every region of the country. In addition, offering training facilities for SSC or equivalent level students to make them the skilled in IT or ITES has been designed as an additional feature.