Country’s
GDP growth in the current 2014-15 fiscal year has been calculated at 6.51 per
cent, which is below the government’s expectation of 7 per cent.
“We
were optimistic of achieving 7 per cent GDP growth in the fiscal, but finally
it has reached at 6.51 per cent due to violent politics, arson and vandalism
during the countrywide blockade and hartal in January-March period unleashed by
the BNP and its allies,” Planning Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal told reporters on
Thursday after the meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) at NEC
Conference Room in city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.
Terming
the 6.51 per cent growth “not bad”, Kamal said “Bangladesh is one of the four
countries who have been maintaining over 6 per cent GDP growth for the last few
years.”
He
extended his heartfelt thanks to the people of all spheres and all concerned
stakeholders including those of the private sector for helping the country to
achieve such growth rate. The overall size of the GDP at current price for the
FY15 stood at Taka 15,13,599 crore. The planning minister said contribution of
the Agriculture sector to the GDP in the current fiscal stood at 15.59 per cent
while the share of the industry sector totaled 27.98 per cent and the share of
the services sector reached 56.42 per cent. The agriculture sector in the
current fiscal registered 3.4 per cent growth while industry sector 9.60 per
cent and service sector 5.83 per cent.
The
Planning Minister said investment ratio to GDP in the current fiscal rose to
28.98 per cent which was 28.58 per cent in the previous fiscal, with rising
trend in both public and private sector investment.
He
expressed satisfaction with the per capita income for Bangladesh in the
outgoing fiscal year (FY15) rose to US$ 1344 which was US$ 1190 in the previous
fiscal year. Besides, considering per capita income in nominal price, the
position of Bangladesh is 58th in the world while considering
purchasing power parity, the per capita income of Bangladesh stood at US$ 3,190
in the current fiscal leaving the country’s position to 36th in the
world, added Kamal.
He
also hoped that overall inflation rate would come down in the coming days.
Bangladesh’s
GDP growth was hovering around 6 per cent over the last couple of years since
the GDP growth at constant price in FY 10 was 5.57 per cent that rose to 6.46
per cent in FY11 and 6.52 per cent in FY12.
The
GDP growth rate in Bangladesh in FY13, however, came down at 6.01 per cent
followed by 6.12 per cent in FY14. (Source: BSS)