Envisaged and implemented by Honourable Prime Minister (HPM) Sheikh Hasina, a scheme known as “home for homeless” has provided houses for as many as 3.5 million people across the country at grassroots. Over the space of a decade, through building over 7,00,000 houses in line with the policy the Awami League(AL) led government has rehabilitated 3.5 million poor homeless people between 1997- 2001 and 2009-2022. This initiative, overseen by the premier, coincides with an array of other efforts, that resulted in lifting millions of lives out of poverty, drawing global acclamation for HPM Sheikh Hasina. “Leaving no one behind”, has emerged out as a key pillar behind the much touted social inclusion policy undertaken by the premier that helped the youngest nation in South Asia emerge as a rising star.

The United States and Bangladesh have joined hands to expand national plan of action to prevent human trafficking. U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Helen LaFave joined Md. Aminul Islam Khan, Senior Secretary of the Public Security Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs, and other Government of Bangladesh officials to inaugurate a workshop to revise and extend the National Plan of Action for Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking. Meanwhile, a number of top officials including US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu made visits to this country and he commented that his daylong engagements and comments, he made it clear that the US wants to see itself as a ‘reliable partner’ of the new middle income Bangladesh which is, according to Canada-based online publication 'Visual Capitalist', now the 35th largest economy in the world. Moreover, Bangladesh has made progress in curbing trafficking-in-persons in recent years, having established seven special tribunals, created anti-trafficking task forces, and implemented the National Plan of Action.

Bangladesh under HPM Sheikh Hasina's leadership has made tremendous progress in gender empowerment and this will make all the difference, said India's former minister and author-editor M J Akbar. Participating in a discussion on India-Bangladesh relations organised by 'India Narrative", a multi-media and multilingual platform, he said "Bengali women power can never be marginalised and that is why Bangladesh will never be an Afghanistan." "The respect for women is ingrained in Bengali society on both sides of the border. It forms the core of Bengali culture," he said. Bangladesh's leading columnist Syed Badrul Ahsan, joining the discussion, pointed to how Sheikh Hasina's government had so many women ministers with important portfolios and so many senior women diplomats and bureaucrats.

HPM Sheikh Hasina said her government is working to ensure world class healthcare service for all. "We're taking measures to make sure that all can get international standard healthcare services," she said while opening 45 more community vision centres at the Upazila Health Complexes in 13 districts across the country. She virtually joined the inaugural programme held at National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital in city from her official Ganabhaban residence here. After opening the 45 community vision centres, she mentioned her inaugurated 90 centres in two phases earlier, saying she planned to build community vision centres across the country in phases to bring all people under free modern and developed eye treatment.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved the elevated road construction project in haor (seasonal wetland) regions and ten other projects. The initiative is aimed at ensuring smooth road communications in all seasons in the hoar areas and transporting agri-products easily. Apart from the elevated road, the authorities will also widen 13.40km road from Nakvanga intersection to Morichkhali Bazar under the project. This project will not harm the environment anymore as the government will build an elevated road instead of constructing any dam in the haor areas. Moreover, a target has been set by the government to prepare a 10,000 kilometres river route and so far 6,500 kilometres of river route have already been excavated.

RMG exports non-traditional markets experienced significant growth, reaching $4.06 billion in revenue in the first half of the financial year. In the context of Bangladesh's key export destinations, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union (EU) countries are generally known as the traditional markets whereas the rest of the markets are considered non-traditional markets. Japan, Australia, Russia, India, China, South Korea, UAE, Malaysia, Brazil, Mexico and many other countries are major destinations from the non-traditional side. According to the Export Promotion Bureau data, the apparel export to the non-traditional markets reached $4.06 billion (17.58% of total RMG export earnings) with 32.19% year-on-year (YoY) growth in H1 of FY23, higher from $3.05 billion in the same period of the last FY22.

Bangladesh's entrepreneurs, encouraged by prospects, tax and VAT benefits, expanded their capacity in oceangoing shipping sector, with the total number of vessels rising to 91, the highest so far, at the end of 2022 from 80 ships a year ago. With the increase, oceangoing ships now have a carrying capacity of nearly 3 million tonnes. Tax exemption on income earned by oceangoing vessels carrying the Bangladeshi flag until 2030 and value added tax (VAT) exemption on the import of vessels of up to 25 years old attracted investment in the sector over the last couple of years.

The government has built multipurpose hydraulic elevator dam (HED) for irrigation facilities by conserving spring water to control flood, protect fishery resources and create opportunities for eco-tourism and employment. An opportunity has been opened up to conserve a large amount of water in the monsoon season along with the spring water through the construction of dams and reservoirs in this region, which can be used later in the dry season if needed. This initiative will be possible to control flood, protect fishery resources, create opportunities for eco-tourism and create employment opportunities in the project area by implementing riverside conservation works of 3 unions of Patia Upazila of Chittagong district.