Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque on Sunday said that mill owners, wholesalers and middlemen were hatching conspiracies behind the manipulation of essential commodity prices, and that the government would take stricter action against them.
The minister made the remarks while laying the foundation stone of Ahmed Ali Memorial High School Flood Shelter at Dhanbari in Tangail on the day, said a press release issued by the Ministry of Agriculture on the day.
He also said that food production in the country was continuing despite the Covid-19 pandemic, as the Boro season had witnessed bumper yield of the crop.
However, Aman paddy production was at risk due to prolonged floods, and there may be concerns that the production will not be as expected, he feared.
"For these reasons, we are noticing that the mill owners, wholesalers and the middlemen are involved in various conspiracies to make huge profits. The government is very careful and strict about their conspiracies," Dr Razzaque warned.
The shelter was being constructed under the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief's "Flood Shelter Construction Project in Flood-Prone and River Erosion Areas" project.
The minister also said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was always pro-agriculture and with the farmers.
Under her leadership, the adoption of agri-friendly policies of the government, subsidization of agricultural inputs including fertilizers, seeds, irrigation and improved innovation and cultivation of crops have resulted in unprecedented development in food production in the country, he remarked.
Even in this (Covid-19 pandemic) disaster, there has been no food crisis in the country so far, Dr Razzaque stated.
The aim of the government was to ensure that no one in the country had to suffer from hunger. If needed, the government will import a small quantity of rice from abroad, he further remarked.
