Planning Minister MA Mannan has said inflation fell by 0.19 percent to 8.91 percent in October this year from 9.10 percent in the previous month (September).
He disclosed the information on Tuesday while briefing reporters after attending a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The country’s inflation increased to 9.5 percent in August for rising commodity prices and record hike in fuel prices amid global crisis. However, inflation dropped to 9.1 percent in September.
According to the data available with Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), food inflation also decreased to 8.38 percent in October from 8.95 percent in September, but non-food inflation increased to 9.98 percent in October from 9.38 percent in September.
The Planning Minister said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged all concerned to become frugal, avoiding luxurious items, controlling expenditure and stopping wastage and checking misuse of funds in the wake of the global economic condition.
Mannan said the prime minister asked the authorities concerned to come up with rural small projects or public welfare-oriented projects.
“Luxury projects can't be taken up. But we can't compromise with the small rural projects or welfare-oriented projects. Mega projects can't be undertaken now,” he said quoting the prime minister.
He said that the prime minister, also the ECNEC chairperson, stressed the need for conducting thorough feasibility studies in case of undertaking any big project.
She also asked the authorities concerned to find uncultivated lands everywhere across the country and thus transform those lands into arable ones, he mentioned.
The planning minister said the premier has put utmost importance on boosting agricultural production to become self-reliant as well as increasing the production of poultry, cattle, vegetables to meet the demand for protein and nutrition.
He said the prime minister had mentioned that production would have to be raised while not a single inch of land can be kept uncultivated.
In this regard, the premier directed the cabinet secretary to identify uncultivated lands across the country with the help of deputy commissioners concerned.