DHAKA: It is our time to work hard for a better Bangladesh bringing all the ministries together. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is working for building up the country keeping all own interests aside and in this circumstance all ministers should also be involved with the process without the selfness. Otherwise it will be their big mistake.
Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal came up with the observation in an interview with Banglanews at his Gulshan residence.
As the planning minister I am working with all the ministries and I am so happy that I have already involved most of my cabinet colleagues in the process of development, said AHM Mustafa Kamal.
He started career as chartered accountant and later turned into a successful businessman cum politician cum sport organiser. In the immediate last term of Awami League government he served as the chairman of the standing committee for ministry of finance and from the beginning of the current term he is given the charge of the ministry of planning as a full minister.
He was analysing the present economy on the basis of chronological development of civilisation and emphasized that it was the economy that came first and politics came later. 
Necessity of politics was felt to ensure a smooth run of economy, opined Mustafa Kamal.
The population can be termed as the biggest strength of the country. Once this huge population was thought as the burden but now it is the asset, it is gifted, he said.
Two things are gifted now, one is our population and the other is our present leadership of the country.
AHM Mustafa Kamal was admiring the selflessness, and patriotism of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Her leadership is gifted, I believe, said Mustafa Kamal.
To mention example of Hasina’s foresight he remembered an old-day conversation between them over twenty years back when a mobile phone was being sold in over 1 lace taka each.
Hasina, who was then the leader of the opposition, was telling the then member of parliament Mustafa Kamal that some day the country people will buy mobile phone from corner shops and in very cheap rates.
This has now come to a truth. Over 13 crore out of the 16 crore of people are now using mobile phones and those are available in corner shops, said Mustafa Kamal to Banglanews.
It was the Father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who brought our independence and the economic independence will come with holding the hands Sheikh Hasina, said a confident Mustafa Kamal.
From the ministry of planning my only planning is to enhance the economic strength of the country, he said.
We are stepping forward by involving and taking ideas from all the ministries. The main principle of going forward is not to shelve any task for tomorrow and my policy is so, I hardly leave a task unfinished, he said.
I love dreaming and let other people to dream, and this is an important task, I believe, added the planning minister.
As the materialization of the dream of Padma Bridge was tabled, AHM Mustafa Kamal said, the country is now standing on strong political and economic strength. We are materializing not only the Padma Bridge, we have under taken several other mega projects and going onward successfully.
Matarbari coal-fired power, Sonadia deep sea port, LNG terminal, Ruppur nuclear power, Metro-rail in Dhaka city all these are fast-track projects. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself is keeping her keen eyes to materialize all these projects, he said.
After successful implementation of all these projects the dreams will come true and we are on the right track, said the planning minister.
Emphasizing on having knowledge on historical changes in human civilization a knowledgeable Mustafa Kamal said, we must have to take our plans on the basis of learning from the history.
The source of energy is considered as the main pillar of the going forward. The sources of energy transferred from wood to coal then from coal to fuel and then from fuel to power. On the basis of the all these energy sources the industrial revolution and the second revolution occurred and the whole world is rushing toward total automation which is going to be third revolution. To ensure a materialization of the third revolution the main source of energy is going to be replaced by solar energy, said AHM Mustafa Kamal.
What is the progress of Bangladesh in total automation and acquiring solar energy? Banglanews tabled another question.
It’s very expensive to ensure absorbing energy from solar. However we have started, we have taken pilot projects in irrigation but we need to ensure this energy be used in industrialization. It’s not so easy, still we are emphasizing on enhancing our capacity in producing more power.
The country has already the capacity of producing 11K MW of power while we are giving all thrust to make it 20K MW. The power projects at Matarbari, Rampal and Ruppur will help us to reach the goal. To ensure fuel for power production establishing LNG terminals with 3200 million and 500 million CF are underway, informed the planning minister.
Terming the BNP-Jamaat alliance government as less productive AHM Mustafa Kamal said, we passed through a long period when the country did not have a plan. That resulted a reduced power production. But now the situation is changed, now the country is going forward.
Team work, institution, skilled manpower and capacity to decide are four major things for development of a country and Bangladesh now has all these. And that is why I believe, this is the high time to do something, added Mustafa Kamal.
Emphasizing on both political and economic wills that needed to go forward, he opined the Sheikh Hasina posses all these wills.
China, Japan and India are coming forward with helping hands and we are passing through a good time, he said.
China is regaining its title of economic super power, and Bangladesh finds China as a good friend in the field of economy. Japan has come up with the ever biggest 6 billion credit offer and regarding India it is the policy of Bangladesh to go hand in hand with this neighboring country.
What is the progress the potentiality in fulfilling the Vision-2021 where Bangladesh to be turned into a middle-income country by the first year on next decade, asked Banglanews. 
A country needs to ensure at least 1035 USD per capita income for three years back-to-back to be counted as a country of middle income. And Bangladesh has already gained it. However the other criterions like control on inflation, resilience are need to be confirmed and we are on the right track to ensure Bangladesh will enter into the group of middle income countries by 2021 as per the declared Vision-2021, said AHM Mustafa Kamal.
Government emphasizes on development of both villages and towns together. To ensure education for all extra-ordinary thrust are being given. Text-books are distributed among the students on the very first day of the year, they are provided with scholarship, school feeding programmes are also there.
Investment for education is in other word the investment for the future of the nation, said planning minister.
The Padma Bridge will tie up the peoples of centre and periphery together and the bridge is being constructed by our own money, this is a burning example of our economic strength, he said.
Banglanews raised the issue of Mustafa Kamal’s leadership in the field of Cricket and before answering any question AHM Mustafa Kamal said that he might talk on cricket as a Bangladeshi or as the former chairman of BCB but not as the president of International Cricket Council- ICC. As per ICC rules I am not allowed to talk anywhere as its president. Only the spokesperson will talk on my behalf, he said. But as Bangladeshi cricket fan and organiser I must say that joining cricket world cup as 8th ranked country is really fantastic for Bangladesh.
I do what I love, and that is why I am with cricket, he said. 
Some day the cricket of Bangladesh will be a major strength of economy, I dream. I love to dream and want other people to dream. Let us come and work together to turn the dreams into reality.
BDST 1651 HRS, JAN 06, 2015
