Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, Shafiqul Alam, on Tuesday said Bangladesh’s economy was on the verge of collapse during the Awami League government, but its turnaround in just six months is nothing short of a miracle.

He made the remarks while speaking at the ‘DJFB Talk’ organized by the Development Journalist Forum of Bangladesh at the NEC conference room in the capital’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

Shafiqul Alam said bank funds were looted, and Awami League leader Saifuzzaman constructed a tunnel for personal use. The economy was at the brink of collapse but has remarkably recovered in the last six months.

He said tax rates have been raised to curb wasteful spending, while a significant portion of the national budget is being used to repay foreign loans.

The press secretary said the need to restore discipline in the energy sector, claiming that large-scale mismanagement took place in the past. “There was state-backed looting in this sector. We are working on a permanent solution for the electricity sector. Discussions are ongoing with major power companies, and we aim to drill more gas wells,” he said.

Regarding the construction of 560 model mosques, Shafiqul Alam questioned the rationale behind government spending on such projects. "If you don’t have the money, why would the government build mosques?" he asked. 

Citing media reports, he said each mosque was built at a cost of Tk 15-16 crore, while local committees could have completed them for just Tk 3 crore. "This was nothing but a festival of corruption."

BDST: 1611 HRS, FEB 26, 2025
MN/MSK