Food security at stake for rice price hike: BNP

Voicing deep concern over the soaring rice prices, BNP today alleged that the government is mocking with people's hunger by putting the country's food security at stake with its 'wrong policy and incompetence'.

Speaking at a press conference at BNP's Nayapaltan central office, party senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi also questioned as to why the government is failing to control the rice prices since it has been claiming to have a good stock of crores of tonne of rice.

"The current prices of rice have broken all the previous records. Coarse rice is being sold at Tk 55 while Minikat at Tk 65-70. There's no food security now in the country as most silos are empty," he said.

The BNP leader further said, "The Prime Minister and her ministers are saying there is stock of crores of tonne of rice. If this is true, then why the rice prices are not stable? As she's started losing on all the political fronts, the Prime Minister is now mocking with people's hunger and fate by spreading lies."

He warned that the government will not be able to hush up the serious food crisis with falsehood as the rice prices keep growing every day.

Rizvi warned that another serious famine like the 1974 one is going to hit the country due to the government's wrong policy, corruption and looting. "We're deeply worried over the current food insecurity."

He urged the government to increase the rice supply for keeping the rice market stable.

The BNP leader said though the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization warned Bangladesh about its food safety amid the unusual rice price hike, the government is not at all concerned about it. "It seems that the head of the government and the ruling party are in a festive food though people are suffering badly due to the unusual price hike of rice and other essentials."

He alleged that an extreme anarchy has been prevailing in the country due to the government's widespread corruption, plundering, extortion and grabbing. "People's food security is now under a serious threat due to the government's mismanagement and inefficiency.

He blamed the ruling 'party-backed' business syndicate for increasing the prices of essentials.