Country's poverty rate comes down to 16 percent: Hasan

Information and Communication Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Monday said that the country's poverty rate has come down to 16 percent from over 20 percent of the total population.

"Our per capita income has surpassed that of India. We are the 35th country in terms of GDP in the world and our economy has ranked 31st in terms of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP)," he said.

Dr Hasan, also Awami League (AL) joint general secretary, said this while addressing a discussion as the chief guest at Jahir Raihan Color Lab Auditorium of Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) in the city, marking the National Film Day, reports BSS.

Bangladesh is now a bigger economic country than Malaysia in terms of GDP and in the next few years the country will be the 27th economy in the globe, he said.

Earlier, the information minister started the day's programme by placing a wreath at the portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on BFDC premises. Subsequently, he joined the rally with film artistes and co-artistes and inaugurated the day's events by releasing pigeons and balloons.

Film actresses Rojina and Anjana, Film Director Kazi Hayat and BFDC Managing Director Nujhat Yeasmin joined the rally, among others.

Noting that day by day the country's economic condition is improving, Dr Hasan said, "Along with tangible or infrastructural development, the people need spiritual development too while films can play a role in developing this spiritualism".

Stressing on making such films so that the people can watch those with their families, the information minister said, the films should play a role in the building the country, society and state, and open the third eye of the people apart from giving entertainment.

"Then those movies will be able to play a role in building the country, society and state, awakening the state and reaching the country to the position dreamt by Bangabandhu along with giving entertainment," he added.