Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi has called upon people not to buy food items for one month at a time centering the upcoming holy month of Ramadan.
"There is nothing to rush during Ramadan. It is better to buy what you need. There is no need to buy foodstuffs even for one month at a time. We have plenty of supplies. There will be no shortage of stock in the market," he said. The Commerce Minister, also a heroic freedom fighter, made the call while talking to journalists at Rangpur Police Lines School and College Auditorium Thursday evening.
He was taking part in a discussion arranged marking the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
President of Rangpur Metropolitan Community Policing Committee and heroic freedom fighter Mosaddek Hossain Bablu presided over the function. Tipu Munshi said one crore low-income group families have been given TCB family cards.
"We will give products to one crore people twice. Alleged allegations in card distribution are being investigated. It is being investigated whether there has been any irregularity or not anywhere across the country," he said.
"We have reports that there are not even one percent of complaints in family card distribution. Ninety-nine percent is perfect. Even then, if there is any irregularity, we will take action," he said.
When asked why the market monitoring is not being done properly despite the government's strict directives to curb price rise, Tipu said, "Prices of some products, including oil, have come down."
"I get reports about the market situation every one and a half hours. Edible soybean oil is now being sold at Taka 165 per liter, less than the price we fixed at Taka 168 per liter. But, nowhere is it being sold at more than Taka 168 per liter," he said.
Tipu Munshi said market monitoring is going on and the same activities will be intensified during the holy month of Ramadan.
Mayor of Rangpur Mostafizar Rahman Mostafa, Deputy Inspector General of Rangpur Range Police Devdas Bhattacharya, Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mohd Abdul Alim Mahmud, District Superintendent of Police
Ferdous Ali Chowdhury, President of District Awami League Mamtaz Uddin Ahmed, its General Secretary Advocate Rezaul Karim Raju, Metropolitan Awami League President Shafiur Rahman Safi and its General Secretary Tushar Kanti Mandal were present as special guests.
At the end of the discussion, a pleasant cultural program was performed by popular artists of Television Channels and Bangladesh Betar.