Dhaka, Jan. 14 -- Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali says many challenges are standing in the way of the development of Bangladesh and its economy and requested 'a little time' to figure out the situation.

On Sunday, his first working day at the Secretariat since his appointment, Ali met with four secretaries from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and representatives from related offices and agencies for a discussion. He gave a nearly 25-minute speech after hearing the opinions of several officials.

Describing his long career as a diplomat and the context of Bangladesh's development, he said, "There were challenges then, there are challenges now. We must face these challenges to move forward. Many challenges must be addressed. Not a...