DHAKA: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina pledged to accelerate pace of economic development through good governance in a bid to make Bangladesh a middle-income country by 2021.

The premier came up with this assertion in a signing of Annual Performance Agreement (APA) of the government with different ministries for the year 2015-16 at her office in city on Sunday.

A total of 48 ministries and divisions signed APA with the government for the fiscal to implement the development programs of the government.

The PM said, “We prepared Vision-2021 before the election in 2008. People gave mandate to us, so we have been working for keeping our promises since then”.

Bangladesh has already achieved the lower middle-income country status, she said adding, “Within last seven years, the per capita income reached USD 1,318 which was USD 543 in 2005-6”.

The primer further said Bangladesh took 38 years in attaining USD 100 billion Gross Domestic Product (GDP). But this fiscal year it will be USD 200 billion.

The country has earned praise internationally for its successes, she added.

Urging all to accelerate the speed of development, the PM reiterated, “We have to take more challenges to fulfill the Vission-2021”.

BDST: 1256/1634 HRS, SEPT 20, 2015
BD/RS/RR/SMS