The country’s GDP growth finally reached 6.55 per cent in the last fiscal year (2014-15), which is 0.04 per cent higher than the provisional GDP estimation of 6.51 per cent, has said Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, reported UNB.

The minister said this while talking to reporters after an Ecnec meeting on Tuesday.

The provisional estimation of 6.51 per cent for FY15 was made in April last year, said Mustafa Kamal adding that there is no force in the world which could say there is any kind of engineering in this final estimation process.

Asked whether the per capita income in the last fiscal year would increase due to the GDP growth rise, he said it will definitely increase, but in line with the slight GDP growth rise.

As per the provisional estimation, the per capita income in the last fiscal year (FY15) rose to $ 1314, which was $ 1190 in the fiscal year (FY14).

The GDP growth rate was the highest in the last eight years since 2007-08 when the GDP growth rate was 6.01 per cent. The GDP growth in the following fiscal year, 2008-09, fell to 5.05 per cent which, however, increased slightly to 5.57 per cent in fiscal 2009-10.

The GDP growth in the fiscal year 2010-11 was 6.46 per cent followed by 6.52 per cent in  2011-12, 6.01 per cent in 2012-13, 6.06 per cent in 2013-14 and 6.55 per cent 2014-15.

The country achieved a 7.06 per cent GDP growth in fiscal year 2006-07, up from 6.67 per cent in fiscal year 2005-06.

Asked how the economy fared better despite the three-month long turmoil last year from January to March, the minister said although there were turmoil, the economic activates did not remain stopped for a single day during the period. ‘The supply chain was not disrupted at that time.’

The Planning Minister also hoped that the government will be able to gain 8 per cent GDP growth by FY 20.

According to the final calculation of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the overall size of the GDP at constant market price for the FY15 stood at Tk 8,248,624 crore which was Tk 7,741,361 crore in FY14 at constant market price.

The agriculture sector growth in the last fiscal year was 3.33 per cent, which was 9.67 per cent in the industrial sector and 5.80 per cent in the services sector last time.

The GDP growth rate of the fishing sector in FY 15 was 6.38 per cent, in mining and quarrying it was 9.60 per cent, in manufacturing the growth was 10.31 per cent, in electricity, gas and water supply, the growth was 6.22 per cent. It was 8.60 per cent in construction.