Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said the government will provide special cards for one crore people to enable them to buy essentials at lower prices.
“We have targeted one crore people. We will provide them with special cards so that they can buy essentials at fair prices,” the Prime Minister said this while addressing a meeting of Awami League-led 14-Party Grand Alliance held at her official residence Ganobhaban in capital Dhaka.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also the president of the ruling Awami League, sat in a meeting with the 14-party Grand Alliance leaders after almost three years. The participants in the meeting discussed about the existing and the latest socio-political situation and the next general election.
Sheikh Hasina, who chaired the meeting, also said that her government is taking measures to keep the prices of daily essentials under control during the Ramadan.
She said some 50 lakh people have already been given the cards so that they could buy rice at Tk 10 per kg.
“We will extend support to additional one crore people by providing them with special cards so that they can purchase essential items at fair prices,” she said.
The Prime Minister said around 38 lakh people, who got financial support from the government during the Covid-19 pandemic, will also be included in the one crore people.
Noting that the government has enough food stock, she said it still has 18 lakh metric tonnes of food grains in stock and there is no problem here.
Sheikh Hasina urged the people of the country to raise crop yield. “Not a small piece of land should be left uncultivated in order to meet our food demand,” she said.
Talking about the price hike of edible oil, the Prime Minister said she has directed officials concerned to form a taskforce to control the price hike.
She said soybean oil is imported largely from Brazil, while palm oil from Malaysia. It is true that the prices increased significantly in the international market and the cargo fare went up due to the war, she added.
The government will now find out why the prices went up despite having a good stock of edible oil , said Hasina.
When the price of an item goes up, everyone starts hoarding it. "We are taking measures against these. But we don’t have much to do when the prices go up in the international market. We need to compromise a little bit,” she said.
Citing a problem in LNG import due to the war, she said the government continues its efforts to ensure the LNG supply. But its price might go up a little bit, she hinted.
About the readymade garment sector, the PM said the RMG sector is now getting much larger purchase orders.
Hasina said BNP did not join the talks with the president over the formation of Election Commission as none is in its leadership position.
“BNP didn’t join it. Actually how can they join it? Who would be the prime minister from among them or who would lead them if they go to power?” she asked.
Not naming BNP top leaders Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman, she said one person is now convicted for embezzling the money of orphans and another person has been a fugitive convict in cases including the 10-truck arms-haul and the August 21 grenade attack. He (Tarique) has been a fugitive since 2007, she added.
The PM said since she made the country as ‘Digital Bangladesh,’ he (Tarique) is now taking the advantage, staying outside the country.
In fact, BNP has no (suitable) person to lead it, she said, alleging that they (BNP leaders) continue to make unguarded remarks.
She said a number of electoral reform proposals placed by the AL-led 14-party alliance have already been implemented. The proposals included preparation of the voter list with photographs, introduction of translucent ballot boxes and using the electronic voting machines, she mentioned.
In fact, the voting rights of people were also ensured with the electoral reform by them, said the Prime Minister.