Poverty down to 24.8% from 70%: Muhith

Bangladesh recorded an overwhelming improvement in poverty alleviation down to 24.8 percent now with a pro-people government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina accelerating all efforts to secure a dignified place as a middle-income country very soon.

The poverty level in this part of the world was 70 percent, resulted from the continuous repression and exploitation of the Pakistani centrists and their massive destruction along with wholesale killing of the innocent people during the War of Liberation in 1971.

Lawmakers from both treasury and opposition benches made these observations today while taking part in a general discussion over the address of President Abdul Hamid at the maiden session of the current sitting on January 20 this year.

Taking part in today's discussion, Finance Minister AMA Muhith proudly said the overall living standard in Bangladesh went appreciably high with the fall of the poverty level down to 24.8 percent, mostly during the Awami League government.

"We are now hoping to be a developed nation with the current pace of growth to raise our heads high by 2041," he said further disclosing that the current poverty level would again go down to 10 percent by the end of the present government's tenure not to see anymore poor in the country in course of time.