Desk Report:
Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury has said that in order to ensure accountability of government funds and proper use of public funds, the current government will from now on approve any project only when it meets the conditions of employment creation, return on investment and environmental protection.
He said these things while speaking as the chief guest at a meeting titled “Stepping Forward: The Inauguration of RAISE-2” organized by the Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) on Sunday (May 10, 2026).
Stressing on economic democratization, the minister said that democracy should not be limited to politics, but the common people should have equal rights in the economy as well. Our goal is to provide every citizen of the country with the opportunity to actively participate in the national economy and to bring the benefits of development to everyone.
He further said that unplanned unprofitable projects taken in the past are currently being reviewed or cancelled.
Praising the work of PKSF, the Finance Minister said that there is a similarity between the economic philosophy of the government and the activities of PKSF. He called for further diversification of the scope of PKSF’s work in the coming days. Especially in the new initiatives of the government such as universal healthcare, education and expansion of the social security sector, institutions like PKSF can be important delivery partners.
Amir Khasru said that the government is giving special importance to the direct empowerment of women. A plan has been taken to increase demand and create a saving trend in the local economy by directly transferring cash to women as the custodians of the family budget. The government is also committed to providing direct input support to farmers and support to the health sector.
The Finance Minister, highlighting the blacksmiths, weavers and small artisans of the country, said that we want to implement the concept of ‘One Village One Product’ (one village, one product). For example, if Barisal’s Shital Pati can be taken to global platforms like Amazon or Alibaba with design support, skill development and access, it will be a major GDP contributor. In addition, initiatives have been taken to increase their contribution to GDP by recognizing theater, sports and music as industries.
The government is working tirelessly to overcome the economic burden of the past and the challenges of the current global war situation. To showcase Bangladesh’s success story to the world, everyone’s participation is required, regardless of party affiliation.
The event was chaired by Mr. Zakir Ahmed Khan, Chairman, PKSF, and was attended by Najma Mobarek, Secretary, Financial Institutions Division, Ministry of Finance, as special guests. The guests of honor were Dr. Gayle H. Martin, Acting Division Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, World Bank, representatives of development partners, PKSF officials, and grassroots participants of the RAISE project.
