Food Adviser Ali Imam Majumder has said that the government is stabilizing the rice market by storing rice in warehouses and continuing open market sales (OMS), adding that the market will stabilize and benefit the public once the pressure eases.
He made these remarks during a review meeting on the ongoing Aman procurement campaign at Barisal Circuit House auditorium on Monday afternoon.
The meeting focused on the targets, benefits, and challenges of the current Aman season in the Barisal division, providing various directives.
Officials from the divisional administration and the Food Department participated in the meeting.
Afterward, the Food Advisor answered questions from journalists.
Ali Imam Majumder said the government considers food security the most important aspect of human rights and is working toward achieving this goal.
He said: "The right to food is a human right. Considering this, the government has taken initiatives such as increasing production through pilot programs, purchasing food grains by incentivizing farmers, waiving import duties and taxes, and selling food products at low prices in the open market."
The Food Advisor said that various assessments revealed that Aman cultivation in the Barishal region typically starts later in the season. However, he expressed optimism that the target for the Aman procurement campaign can still be achieved within the designated timeframe. He added that the Aman procurement target and progress in this division are encouraging.
Ali Imam Majumder further said that previously, OMS operations were conducted through the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) and the Food Department.
However, due to the harvest season, OMS activities under the Food Department were temporarily suspended in rural areas.
These operations have now resumed. He said that every working day, two metric tons of rice are being provided to each upazila under OMS. If needed, this quantity will be increased.