DHAKA, March 2, 2024 (BSS) - Parliamentary Standing Committee Chairman on the Ministry of Planning and former Planning Minister MA Mannan today said that Bangladesh experienced 'golden days' over the last 15 years in terms of development and socio-economic improvement in various sectors.

"The term of Awami League from 2009-2023 were the 'golden days' for Bangladesh as during this period, the country started reaping benefits from various development projects like Padma Bridge alongside having higher life expectancy rate, electricity reaching to every household," he said.

The former Planning Minister was addressing the closing session titled 'Drivers of Economic Growth of Bangladesh and the Way Forward' under the two-day 3rd East West Economics Research Conclave 2024 that ended here today on the East West University Campus in the capital today.

Presided over by Professor A.K. Enamul Haque, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics, former Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Mohammed Farashuddin, Chief Adviser, East West University, and Professor Ashik Mosaddik, Pro Vice Chancellor, East West University, spoke as special guests.

Highlighting his experiences for being associated with the country's planning process in different capacities over the years, Mannan said that during this 15-year period, Bangladesh went through a couple of five-year plans, Perspective Plan apart from the ongoing 100-year Delta Plan.

Lauding the country's achievements in attaining the MDG's, he said that the country is also performing well in attaining the SDGs, but the developed countries must come forward to fulfill their commitments of providing support in this regard.

Touching upon the characteristics of the annual development Programme (ADP), the former Planning Minister acknowledged that problems are still there in the implementation stage which needs to be improved.

He was also hopeful that Bangladesh would be able to attain near 7 percent GDP growth in the current fiscal year and thereafter even more in the coming years if the global situation comes to a normalcy.

Former Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Mohammad Farashuddin said that the growth process as well as development becomes sustainable when the country is led by quality leadership. "Fortunately we have now such quality leadership," he added.

Putting emphasis to incorporate the contributions of the womenfolk to the country's GDP, Dr Farashuddin urged the policymakers to hire special expertise on how to include the households contributions to the GDP of Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, posters by projects of graduates from Entrepreneurship Development Centre, East West University were also highlighted in the venue.

The Department of Economics, East West University organized its 3rd research conference, "Economic Research Conclave 2024" on March 1st and 2nd, 2024 in hybrid mode.

The two-day conference consisted of four sessions on Climate Change and Adaptation, Economic Development and Contemporary Urban Issues, Labor and Health Economics, and Economic Vulnerability and External Sector, covering fifteen papers in total. In addition to participants from EWU, scholars and practitioners from abroad also attended in the conference.