Asif Showkat
  The government may lower the country’s economic growth projection rate for the outgoing fiscal year to 6.5 per cent as exports continue to fall because of Euro zone debt crisis.

“Finance ministry estimates 6.5 per cent GDP for FY12. However, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) projected 6 per cent growth,” said a senior official of the finance ministry on Tuesday.

He said finance ministry sees 6.5 per cent growth since the country has bumper Boro production this year. The Government earlier predicted that the country’s economy will have 7 per cent growth in this fiscal.

BBS projection of 6 per cent is now at the finance ministry for its approval.

The official said the GDP growth estimate will be reduced from 7 per cent in the budget announcement for the next fiscal after the country’s exports fell by 4.60 per cent in April compared to that of previous month. The export in April totaled US$ 1.90 billion.

Recently, the World Bank forecasted that Bangladesh will face GDP slow down in the current fiscal to 6 percent against the government's target of 7 percent.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) predicted 6.2 percent growth, while the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said it will be 5.5 percent .

Dr Mustafa K Mujeri, director general of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), told daily sun that it is not bad for the country like Bangladesh to be able to 6.5 per cent GDP growth when particularly Euro zone has debt crisis.