The government has directed the officials concerned to monitor prices at markets as part of several initiatives aimed at benefitting the people of the country during the upcoming month of Ramadan.
Strict action will be taken if anyone stocks the necessary products to increase market price across the country.
In addition, to make the Eid journey safer a list of directions has been taken almost more than one month before the Eid-ul-Fitr on Sunday afternoon in a high level meeting at the Prime Ministers' Office (PMO).
Tofazzel Hossain Miah, principal secretary of the Prime Minister's Office, chaired the meeting where secretaries and concerned officials of the commerce, industry, food, roads and transports, shipping, home, civil aviation, and labour ministries were present, among others.
Top officials of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, RAB, Police Headquarter, all divisional commissionaires, and TCB were also present in the meeting.
All of the ministries and divisions concerned delivered presentations on their Ramadan preparations during the three-hour-long meeting.
“All kinds of preparations have been taken before Ramadan and necessary instructions have been given to make the Eid trip smooth in this meeting,” said Tofazzel Hossain Miah after the meeting.
10 million people to get food from TCB
“The stock of daily essential food products is the highest compared to the last few years. TCB will sell food products at fair prices in two phases. Due to these reasons, food prices will remain normal during Ramadan,” Tofazzel Hossain Miah added.
A total of 10 million people can purchase oil, sugar, pulse, onion, Chola (peas) from TBC sell centres around the country in two phases while people in Dhaka will be able to purchase dates from the TCB sell centres as well.
Ten million people will get products in the beginning of Ramadan and the same ten million people will get the products just before the Eid as well at a minimum price.
“To make the supply chain uninterrupted, local administrations and law enforcement agencies will be vigilant across the country, so that no one can stock food,” PMO principal secretary added.
In addition, poor people will get ration from the social safety net programs.
Uninterrupted electricity during Sehri and Iftar
The meeting insiders said the electricity division of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources said that during the month of Ramadan electricity demand will be at a higher scale to produce irrigation water.
The meeting decided that irrigation pump will start after 11pm to ensure electricity during the Iftar and Sehri time across the country.
“The instructions have been given all over the country that electricity should not go off during Sehri and Iftar,” meeting insiders said.
Area wise action to make Eid journey hazard free
The meeting has decided that local administration, law enforcement agencies and elected representatives will have meetings and take area wise action to maintain the traffic system before and after the Eid journey.
Government high ups believed this time people of 23 districts of southern part of Bangladesh will travel through the Padma Bridge. That's why, the concerned roads will get a lot of pressure of passengers.
To tackle these pressures, area wise measures will be taken to control the traffic congestion in the upcoming Eid.
It was also discussed in the meeting that garments owners will release their workers phase by phase to avoid traffic congestion at the last moment.
“Arrangements will be taken so that buses can pick up passengers inside the garments factory to avoid the human tail on the road before the Eid journey,” according to the sources of the meeting.
To make the rail tickets available for the passengers it has been decided in the meeting to increase the number of rail ticket counters so that people can buy tickets from several rail stations apart from online facilities.
