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Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged the countrymen to produce more food to tackle any challenge as the world community is apprehending a deep crisis next year, reports BSS.
He said, "Food production has to be increased. It is now an inevitable and the utmost important issue for us."
Hasina was speaking at the beginning of the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) held at the NEC Conference Room in the city's Sher-E-Bangla Nagar.
She joined the meeting virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban.
The Premier said she talked with the head of states, head of governments and head of different organisations as they all apprehended that there might be a grave famine in 2023 while the economic recession will be deepened and a food crisis will appear.
Hasina said many countries are discussing the issue in the world. "So, we have to increase food production and make arrangements of preserving food as well as process the food taking it into consideration," she said.
She added the land of Bangladesh is very much fertile and something or other is produced where the seed is sown. Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman used to tell that.
"Following Bangabandhu's footsteps, we have to put concentration on producing food massively and we have to make arrangements to preserve the food," she said.
She also urged the people to exercise austerity in every sector and requested each family in the country to do savings whatever they can.
Sheikh Hasina said the government will not go for any unnecessary usage of anything.
"They (people) are the biggest power for us. We do not have any tension as long as people are with us. We have to encourage the people and utilise them as we did while facing the coronavirus pandemic," she said.
Hasina also urged the planning commission not to spend their valuable time discussing every moment regarding inflation.
She said, "There is no need to take a project unnecessarily when the fund is available. We have to take the project after scrutinising that very carefully so we could get some return from that project. We will take that type of project."
"I did not take any project like that. We were always cautious regarding that matter. We have to remain cautious in the future," she said.
The prime minister emphasized completing the projects as quick as possible.
She also asked all ministries to sort out the projects which can be done a little bit slower.
Sheikh Hasina said that it is not possible to develop any country without the continuation of the democratic process.
"For 21 years, the power was not in the hands of the people. Power was directly or indirectly inside the cantonment. The country was run by military ordinances neglecting the Constitution,” She said.
She noted that there was a farce in the name of democracy and a festival of vote rigging in the name of election.
"We witnessed those. As a result, Bangladesh could not advance," she added.
She said that coming to power in 2008, the government has been able to make recognise Bangladesh as a developing country.
"We had been able to attain this success due to the unhindered continuation of the democracy in Bangladesh," she continued.
Bd-pratidin English/Golam Rosul
