None will be allowed to play game with food of people: PM

Issuing a strong warning against hoarding of rice, Prime Minister and Leader of the House Sheikh Hasina yesterday said her government will not allow anybody to play a game with the food of the people, reports BSS.  

"We're taking an account of the rice stock in every godown of Bangladesh and the rice stock of the millers ... we will examine further whether anybody is creating an artificial rice crisis through hoarding," she said.

In this connection, the Lleader of the House said her government must conduct a search in this regard and take action against those who will be found guilty. "We won't allow anybody to play a game with the food of the people," she asserted.

The premier said this while delivering her winding up

speech in the 17th session of 10th Jatiya Sangsad that was prorogued last night.

Pointing out that there is no reason for price spiraling of rice, she said: "We will have to find out those culprits who are playing a game in this connection."

The prime minister said her government has already started importing of rice from abroad. "We won't let the people suffer from food shortage Insha Allah and everybody could remain sanguine in this regard," she said. The Leader of the House also sought cooperation from the countrymen to find out the elements who are involved in hoarding of rice.

She said it is unfortunate for Bangladesh that some people sometimes play games with the countrymen which the country witnessed in 1974.

Sheikh Hasina said General Ziaur Rahman had made the minister a man who was the food secretary in 1974. "So we'll have to think about the link between the 1975 massacre, the famine of 1974 and making the food secretary the minister," she said.

"There is a matter in this event which induces us to remain alert,” she said. While talking about the rice production in the current season, Sheikh Hasina said the agriculture minister mentioned in the House that adequate quantity of Aush rice will be produced in the current season.

"We're expecting that 27, 9000 MT of rice would be produced in the current season and if the production is achieved, there will be no crisis of rice," she said.

Pointing to the influx of Myanmar nationals into Bangladesh, the premier said the persecution and repression that the Myanmar government carried out on the Rakhaine people are very regrettable.

The atrocities by the Myanmar government were initiated when the Myanmar insurgents conducted attacks on the army and the border guards. "Then the Myanmar army started carrying out repression and torture on the innocent people and my word is clear that let those involved in this violence be tracked down and take action against them," she said.

"But why the innocent people will suffer inhuman persecution," she added. In this connection, the prime minister in an emotion-charged voice narrated the pathetic situation of the women, children and elderly people of Rakhaine State of Myanmar. "This situation reminds us the memory of 1971," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said it's not possible for any human being to tolerate this repression and torture on the Rakhaine women and children.

"Now it's a big problem for us to give shelter to a huge number of refugees as thousands of them entered Bangladesh ... three lakh people have already took shelter here and the influx is continuing," she said.

Reiterating her government's firm stance against terrorism, the premier said the country's position is very clear that it will not give shelter to anybody who is involved in the menace.

She said the Myanmar authorities should find out those involved in insurgency and take action against them. "What offence the innocent families have committed? she said, adding that the entire world has raised the protest against the Myanmar atrocities.

She said the UN Security Council has discussed the issue and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau phoned the Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi to stop atrocities on the Rakhaine people.

The Leader of the House said the government has made arrangements for giving shelter to the refugees by seeing their ordeal and suffering.

As a result, she said, the international community is putting pressure on the Myanmar authorities to take back their nationals from Bangladesh. "There is no scope for raising question about the citizenship of the Rakhaine people," she said.

In this connection, the prime minister urged the countrymen so that the Myanmar refugees don't suffer any misery. "We cannot throw them into the Naf river or the Bay of Bengal. If needed, we share our food with them," she said in an emotion charged voice.

None will be allowed to play game with food of people: PM

Issuing a strong warning against hoarding of rice, Prime Minister and Leader of the House Sheikh Hasina yesterday said her government will not allow anybody to play a game with the food of the people, reports BSS. Were taking an account of the rice stock in every godown of Bangladesh and the rice stock of the millers ... we will examine further whether anybody is creating an artificial rice crisis through hoarding, she said. In this connection, the Lleader of the House said her government must conduct a search in this regard and take action against those who will be found guilty. We wont allow anybody to play a game with the food of the people, she asserted. The premier said this while delivering her winding up speech in the 17th session of 10th Jatiya Sangsad that was prorogued last night. Pointing out that there is no reason for price spiraling of rice, she said: We will have to find out those culprits who are playing a game in this connection. The prime minister said her government has already started importing of rice from abroad. We wont let the people suffer from food shortage Insha Allah and everybody could remain sanguine in this regard, she said. The Leader of the House also sought cooperation from the countrymen to find out the elements who are involved in hoarding of rice. She said it is unfortunate for Bangladesh that some people sometimes play games with the countrymen which the country witnessed in 1974. Sheikh Hasina said General Ziaur Rahman had made the minister a man who was the food secretary in 1974. So well have to think about the link between the 1975 massacre, the famine of 1974 and making the food secretary the minister, she said. There is a matter in this event which induces us to remain alert, she said. While talking about the rice production in the current season, Sheikh Hasina said the agriculture minister mentioned in the House that adequate quantity of Aush rice will be produced in the current season. Were expecting that 27, 9000 MT of rice would be produced in the current season and if the production is achieved, there will be no crisis of rice, she said. Pointing to the influx of Myanmar nationals into Bangladesh, the premier said the persecution and repression that the Myanmar government carried out on the Rakhaine people are very regrettable. The atrocities by the Myanmar government were initiated when the Myanmar insurgents conducted attacks on the army and the border guards. Then the Myanmar army started carrying out repression and torture on the innocent people and my word is clear that let those involved in this violence be tracked down and take action against them, she said. But why the innocent people will suffer inhuman persecution, she added. In this connection, the prime minister in an emotion-charged voice narrated the pathetic situation of the women, children and elderly people of Rakhaine State of Myanmar. This situation reminds us the memory of 1971, she said. Sheikh Hasina said its not possible for any human being to tolerate this repression and torture on the Rakhaine women and children. Now its a big problem for us to give shelter to a huge number of refugees as thousands of them entered Bangladesh ... three lakh people have already took shelter here and the influx is continuing, she said. Reiterating her governments firm stance against terrorism, the premier said the countrys position is very clear that it will not give shelter to anybody who is involved in the menace. She said the Myanmar authorities should find out those involved in insurgency and take action against them. What offence the innocent families have committed? she said, adding that the entire world has raised the protest against the Myanmar atrocities. She said the UN Security Council has discussed the issue and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau phoned the Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi to stop atrocities on the Rakhaine people. The Leader of the House said the government has made arrangements for giving shelter to the refugees by seeing their ordeal and suffering. As a result, she said, the international community is putting pressure on the Myanmar authorities to take back their nationals from Bangladesh. There is no scope for raising question about the citizenship of the Rakhaine people, she said. In this connection, the prime minister urged the countrymen so that the Myanmar refugees dont suffer any misery. We cannot throw them into the Naf river or the Bay of Bengal. If needed, we share our food with them, she said in an emotion charged voice.