Dhaka: Attributing the achievement of Bangladesh’s graduation from the group of least developed countries (LDCs) to a developing one to the people of the country, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said they can achieve anything.

‘This achievement is the achievement of the people of Bangladesh. I think country’s people are the main source of all power. They can achieve anything,’ she said.   

The Prime Minister was addressing a reception accorded to her at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) for the government’s historic achievement of making Bangladesh eligible for graduating from the LDC group.

The function was arranged as part of a five-day government programme to celebrate the graduation.

Sheikh Hasina said the achievement is for those who work unitedly and contribute to the country’s development. ‘We’ve to maintain this pace of development. This march must not be stopped,’ she said.

She urged all to work for the country so that people can live keeping their heads high. ‘We want to live as a proud nation… we want to walk keeping our heads high. We liberated our country through a struggle and we’ve proved that we can stand on our own feet.’

Giving all credit to people for the success, the Prime Minister said had they not stood by her and brought Awami League to power, it would not have been possible for her and the government to work for the country and attain this remarkable achievement. ‘To me, power is nothing but an opportunity to serve the country and its people. I never believed that power is for personal gain,’ she said.

Chaired by Finance Minister AMA Muhith, UN Under Secretary General Fekitamoeloa Katoa also spoke at the programme. A written statement of UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner was also read out.

At the programme, the Finance Minister handed over the UN certificate conveying the announcement on the country’s graduation from the LCD group to a developing one to the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister also unveiled a commemorative stamp and a commemorative note on the occasion.

The UN Secretary General, World Bank chief, ADB chief, USAID chief and JICA chief gave their speeches of appreciation through video messages.

The Committee for Development Policy (CDP) of the United Nations on March 15 last officially declared the eligibility of Bangladesh for graduating from the

LDC and handed over a formal letter in this regard to Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the UN Masud Bin Momen the following day.

According to the UN’s graduation thresholds set at the triennial review in 2015, gross national income (GNI) per capita of a country has to be $1,242 or above. Bangladesh’s GNI per capita rose to $1,610 at the end of fiscal year 2016-17.

The GNI per capita is the value of a country’s final income in a year divided by its population. It reflects the average income of a country’s citizens.

On the other two indexes—human assets and economic vulnerability—a country has to score 66 or above and 32 or below respectively.

Bangladesh’s score in the human assets index stood at 72.9 and the economic vulnerability index is 24.8, meaning the country meets all the criteria.

Bangladesh, however, will have to maintain the thresholds for the three indices till the country’s final graduation from the LDC category, which the UN will declare in 2024.