Food Minister warns against price hike of rice, essentials

Rice on sale at a market in capital

Jehangir Hussain

Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder on Tuesday warned wholesale traders, corporate companies and rice millers not to increase prices  of rice and other commodities during Ramadan. 

The minister also asked the Deputy Commissioners, officials of law enforcement agencies, the Directorate General of Food and at upzilas  to keep watch on the market, to ensure that   essential prices were not increased during Ramadan.

“Keep strict watch on the market. If necessary, visit rice mills, wholesale outlets and corporate companies. Take stern legal actions against hoarders of rice and other essentials,” the minister said while addressing a meeting of officials of the food department, law enforcement agencies and business leaders held at the auditorium of the Directorate General of  Food in the capital.

Chaired by Food Secretary Ismail Hossain chaired the meeting was addessed by Director General of Food Sakhawat Hossain, Bangladesh Food Safety Authority Chairman Abdul Kaiyum Sarker, Additional DG of Food Abdullah Al Mamun, Bangladesh Auto and Husking Mill Owners Association President Abdur Rashid and General Secretary Layek Ali, City Group’s Advisor Amitav Chakrabartee, Babubazar Wholesale Rice Traders Association General Secretary Nizam Uddin, Brahmanbaria Rice Mills Owners Association General Secretary Monirul Islam Bhauiyan and Naogaon Rice Traders Association President Nirodh Baran Saha.

Representatives of rice trading associations and corporate companies gave the assurance that there will be no problem of food grain supplies  during the Ramadan as there were huge stocks in the country. So, rice price wouldn’t increase during Ramadan.

Abdur Rashid, the leading rice trader in  Kushtia, said that many rice mills across the country is remained closed due to random import of rice in last few months. As a result, the rice price in the market is lower than the price of paddy.

He urged the government to provide money to  the closed rice mills, so that they can re-start business and requested the authorities to stop random import of rice to save the millers.

Layek Ali, a rice trader of Natore, said that the millers incurred losses due to the price fixed by the government during internal rice procurement.

Naogaon’s Nirodh Baran Saha claimed that a section of people, who are not actual rice trader, usually hoard rice and paddy illegally for extra profit.

Responding to the demands and proposals, Food Secretary Ismail Hossain said, “Despite the target of procuring five lakh tonnes  of rice and three lakh tonnes  of paddy during the last Aman season, the government could buy only 4.11 lakh tons of rice. The rice millers haven’t supplied rice as per the agreement with them.”

“The waiver of import duty, which was withdrawn for promoting rice import to face probable crisis, would be withdrawn after March 30. And rice import would be discouraged. New procurement price for Boro season would be fixed considering everything,” he assured.

Indicating towards the corporate companies to stop market manipulation, the Secretary said, “No matter what’s their share in the market, they can manipulate everything. Nobody would be allowed to play ‘foul’. Those who would try to play foul would not be spared.”

Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder said, “Nobody would be allowed to hoard rice without license. The authorities will keep watch  across to take legal action for illegal hoarding. No one would be spared.”

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