Bank money not for looting: PM

Staff Correspondent: While delivering speech in parliament recently, the prime minister said the government knows who looted banks in the past.
Some opposition lawmakers, came down heavily on the government for its failure to check money laundering, soaring loan defaults and black money.
They also alleged that banking sector is suffering because of corruption.
“Many say there is no money in banks. Why there should be no money there? Of course, there is money in banks,” Hasina said.
“But that money is not for looting …. We know the people who have looted banks in the past.”
She added, “Many looted a lot of money from banks and some of them are in prison on the allegation of corruption.” Hasina also censured those who criticised the budget by saying it was “ambitious” and had “impossible revenue collection target” and “the government lacks capacity to implement it”.
“If we do not have capacity, how the total budget outlay of Tk 61,000 crore of 2008 reached over Tk 5 lakh crore this year”
She further said her government brought down poverty rate to 21 percent from 41 percent. “If we can’t implement our budget, how this poverty rate came down?”
Hasina said Bangladesh made remarkable progress in terms of managing economic system. The country’s GDP is growing fast like many other countries and “many term Bangladesh a development mystery.”
She urged the critics to refrain from doing unnecessary criticism. “Do not create confusion among countrymen.”
She said they have taken some ambitious targets as it is necessary for the development of the country.
Hasina said the government analyses annual development programmes midway of a financial year to modify and correct its plans. “Besides, we also analyse which development programmes need more money and which need less.”
“We have to do it as it is a reality that all development projects can’t continue at the same pace,” she said.